Why Trump's tariffs may not hit Tesla
'Tesla made a business model choice that has served them well,' said Simon Ellis, who leads supply chain practices at IDC Manufacturing Insights. 'They can … argue more compellingly that their cars are really made in America.'
'And in the current climate, that probably helps them,' Ellis added.
Trump's 25 percent tariff is set to go into effect on April 2 as part of the president's broader trade war. He argued the tariffs will encourage foreign car manufacturers to move production into the U.S. and increase American jobs.
Tesla produces all of its North American vehicles in the U.S. at factories in California and Texas, potentially lessening the impact for Musk-led company, industry experts said.
'[Tesla] is well positioned because they have vertical integration,' said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox Automotive's director of industry insights. 'They produce the vehicles they are building, the batteries. … They can have more control over that supply chain, which helps them out.'
The tariffs are meant to force automakers to move production to the U.S., which could be a lengthy and expensive process.
Trump told NBC's 'Meet The Press' in a Sunday interview he was fine with Americans paying higher prices for cars, so long as they were made in the U.S.
'I couldn't care less. I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are going to buy American-made cars. We have plenty,' Trump said.
Tesla has a head start to this transition, observers said, given the manufacturing process already takes place in the U.S.
'It going to take a while for some of these other manufacturers that don't have anything. It's going to take longer for them to retool the plants or shift production,' Valdez Streaty said. 'So that's another advantage.'
Check out the full report at TheHill.com tomorrow.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
20 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Mered CEO on Factors Driving Dubai Property Boom
Dubai's housing boom that began in late 2020 has continued despite Trump's tariff policies and conflict in the region. Michael Belton, CEO of Dubai-based developer Mered, spoke with Bloomberg's Chief Africa Correspondent Jennifer Zabasajja on Horizons: Middle East and Africa about the surge in property prices, and whether Dubai may be heading toward a bubble. (Source: Bloomberg)
CNBC
20 minutes ago
- CNBC
CCTV Script 13/08/2025
The market has largely viewed the latest overnight release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation report in a positive light. The nominal CPI rose by 2.7% year-on-year, slightly below the expected 2.8%. The report also indicated stronger-than-expected inflation in service, while goods inflation came in lower than anticipated. These figures have reinforced market expectations for a rate cut and boosted the performance of U.S. stocks overnight. Specifically: All three major U.S. stock indices rose by more than 1% overnight, with the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite both closing at record highs. According to CME FedWatch, the market's probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut by the Federal Reserve in September has increased from 85.86% the previous day to 94.93%. Although the market widely expects a rate cut in September, the focus among those supporting the move varies. Some are paying attention to inflation trends, while others are closely monitoring employment data. First, regarding the impact of Trump's tariff policies on inflation, expert opinions are divided. One camp argues that the effect of tariffs on U.S. inflation is actually quite limited. "Now you have six months of evidence, I don't really think tariffs cause inflation. Taxes don't cause inflation. And so what you're seeing in the data is very muted effects that are one time increases in the price level." It's worth noting that James Bullard is currently considered a top candidate for the next Federal Reserve Chair. In an interview with CNBC overnight, he also stated that he expects the Fed to cut rates by a total of 100 basis points over the next year. Meanwhile, another camp in the market warns that the impact of tariffs on inflation may gradually become more apparent in the future. Experts caution that, in addition to nominal CPI, it's crucial to monitor the trajectory of core CPI. "We are seeing a little bit of an uptick in the sequential core inflation and underlying inflation data. And I think a large part of that is the moderate impact we're seeing of tariff pass through that that is likely to grow in the months ahead." Additional analysis points out that while businesses may absorb costs in the short term, they will ultimately pass them on to consumers, particularly in industries with already narrow profit margins. "For instance, groceries, I mean, there's very little margin there. They're going to, you know, your tomato prices are going to go up because of because they can't really absorb, you know, those prices. It's just a matter of time that this, that the tariff related inflation starts to show up in the data." Finally, it's noteworthy that no consensus has yet been reached within the Federal Reserve regarding the pace of future rate cuts. Currently among Fed officials, Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller represent the dovish camp advocating for . However, Jeffrey Schmid, President of the Kansas City Fed struck a hawkish tone overnight, arguing for . With moderate voices further complicating the divide, analysts suggest that even if the Fed initiates a cut in September, the pace may remain measured due to persistent internal disagreements.
CNBC
20 minutes ago
- CNBC
CNBC Daily Open: Trump's 'peace' for Ukraine doesn't seem like what Zelenskyy wants
There was no deal when U.S. President Donald Trump met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday. That was not unexpected. The summit, which was initially arranged to discuss a ceasefire to Moscow's war in Ukraine, was on Tuesday reframed by White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt as a "listening exercise" that allowed Trump to get a "better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end." Prior to the summit, analysts were already casting doubt on the talks advancing any real ceasefire in Ukraine. "Let's be clear, Putin does not take Trump seriously," Tina Fordham, founder of Fordham Global Foresight, told CNBC. And the fact that the summit was scheduled — and Putin invited to Alaska, the first time he stepped on U.S. soil in about a decade — was already a "big win" for the Kremlin leader, according to a comment by Richard Portes, head of the economics faculty at the London Business School, before the meeting took place. While no agreement was reached, Trump on Friday described the meeting as "very productive" — and announced the next day that he would be pursuing a "peace agreement" rather than a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. But peace means very different things to the Ukraine, Russia and America. To one, it could be the complete halt of armed warfare and the retreat of foreign troops from its soil. To another, it might seem like acquiring annexed territory. And for some, it might look like a shiny golden coin engraved with the profile of Alfred Nobel, regardless of the prerequisites. Trump calls on Ukraine to 'end the war with Russia.' The U.S. president on Sunday said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can either stop the conflict or "continue to fight." Putin has agreed that the U.S. and European nations could give Ukraine "Article 5-like" security guarantees, the White House said. OpenAI in share sales talk that would value it at $500 billion. The shares would be sold by current and former employees to investors including SoftBank, Dragoneer Investment Group and Thrive Capital, according to a source. The Dow Jones Industrial Average outperforms. Major stock indexes ended Friday mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising a fractional 0.08%. Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose Monday. China's CSI 300 hit its highest level since October 2024. A trip by U.S. trade officials to India has been called off. The visit, which was expected to take place between Aug. 25 and Aug. 29, will likely be rescheduled, according to Indian news broadcaster NDTV Profit. [PRO] Fedspeak to parse for the week. Minutes for the U.S. Federal Reserve's August meeting come out Wednesday, while Fed Chair Jerome Powell will speak at Jackson Hole, a symposium of economic policy, on Friday. They may give clues on policy path. This Asian data center hub is grappling with the massive costs of AI: energy and water Johor, a state at the southern tip of Malaysia, has quietly become one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing data center hubs amid the heightened compute demands of AI. Though that has created new economic opportunities and jobs, there are signs the industry is pushing the limits of the state's energy capacity and natural resources, with officials slowing approvals for new projects.
