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Auto Blog
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
U.S. Makes Revised Deal Slashing Import Tariffs for U.K. Automakers
Trump cuts U.K. automakers some slack The U.S. and the U.K. have confirmed a limited trade deal to reduce tariffs on U.K. vehicle imports from 27.5% to 10%. Discounted levies on auto part imports are not part of the agreement, and the decreased tariffs have a limit of 100,000 cars annually. Jaguar Land Rover, which sends the most vehicles to the U.S. out of any automaker, sold about 95,000 cars last year in the U.S., according to The New York Times. The U.K. as a whole exported around 102,000 total cars to the U.S. in 2024, according to Automotive Logistics. In April, Jaguar Land Rover announced it was pausing shipments to the U.S. because of tariff impacts, but resumed vehicle exports earlier this week. The Trump administration is also cutting U.K. steel and aluminum import tariffs from 25% to 0% with quotas, which have yet to be announced, and will allow Rolls-Royce to export engines and plane parts into the U.S. tariff-free. In return, the U.K. slashed its 19% tariff on imported ethanol from the U.S. to 0%. Since 2021, the U.K.'s standard unleaded fuel, E10 petrol, has contained up to 10% ethanol. Previous Pause Next Unmute 0:00 / 0:10 Audi A5 replaces A4: So, what's changed? Watch More President Trump listens as Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks to him on the phone — Source: Getty 'Big three' U.S. automakers fume over U.K. deal When finalized, the tariff reduction deal will be the U.S.'s first of its kind with another nation, and some domestic automakers aren't happy about it. 'The U.S. automotive industry is highly integrated with Canada and Mexico; the same is not true for the U.S. and the U.K. We are disappointed that the administration prioritized the U.K. ahead of our North American partners,' said American Automotive Policy Council President Matt Blunt. The council represents the U.S.' 'big three' automakers; Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors (GM). Current tariff policy states that USMCA-compliant (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) auto parts are temporarily exempt from tariffs, but USMCA-compliant vehicles imported into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico face tariffs on their non-U.S. content. Matt Blunt added: 'Under this deal, it will now be cheaper to import a U.K. vehicle with very little U.S. content than a USMCA-compliant vehicle from Mexico or Canada that is half American parts.' Cars are the U.K.'s largest export to the U.S., worth around £9 billion ($11.9 billion) in 2024, according to the BBC. 'The car industry is vital to the U.K.'s economic prosperity, sustaining 250,000 jobs. We warmly welcome this deal which secures greater certainty for our sector and the communities it supports,' Jaguar Land Rover CEO Adrian Mardell said according to Ars Technica. Final thoughts American Automotive Policy Council President Matt Blunt is unsurprisingly dissatisfied with the President's prioritization of foreign automakers over domestic ones. A portion of Blunt's release read: 'We hope this preferential access for U.K. vehicles over North American ones does not set a precedent for future negotiations with Asian and European competitors.' Still, the U.K.-U.S. deal is more symbolic, as it will likely have a limited impact. Most U.K. automakers, such as Jaguar Land Rover, operate at the higher end of the pricing spectrum, restricting their overall U.S. market presence despite strong sales in the luxury segment. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime.
Miami Herald
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
U.S. Makes Revised Deal Slashing Import Tariffs for U.K. Automakers
The U.S. and the U.K. have confirmed a limited trade deal to reduce tariffs on U.K. vehicle imports from 27.5% to 10%. Discounted levies on auto part imports are not part of the agreement, and the decreased tariffs have a limit of 100,000 cars annually. Jaguar Land Rover, which sends the most vehicles to the U.S. out of any automaker, sold about 95,000 cars last year in the U.S., according to The New York Times. The U.K. as a whole exported around 102,000 total cars to the U.S. in 2024, according to Automotive Logistics. In April, Jaguar Land Rover announced it was pausing shipments to the U.S. because of tariff impacts, but resumed vehicle exports earlier this week. The Trump administration is also cutting U.K. steel and aluminum import tariffs from 25% to 0% with quotas, which have yet to be announced, and will allow Rolls-Royce to export engines and plane parts into the U.S. tariff-free. In return, the U.K. slashed its 19% tariff on imported ethanol from the U.S. to 0%. Since 2021, the U.K.'s standard unleaded fuel, E10 petrol, has contained up to 10% ethanol. When finalized, the tariff reduction deal will be the U.S.'s first of its kind with another nation, and some domestic automakers aren't happy about it. "The U.S. automotive industry is highly integrated with Canada and Mexico; the same is not true for the U.S. and the U.K. We are disappointed that the administration prioritized the U.K. ahead of our North American partners," said American Automotive Policy Council President Matt Blunt. The council represents the U.S.' "big three" automakers; Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors (GM). Current tariff policy states that USMCA-compliant (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) auto parts are temporarily exempt from tariffs, but USMCA-compliant vehicles imported into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico face tariffs on their non-U.S. content. Matt Blunt added: "Under this deal, it will now be cheaper to import a U.K. vehicle with very little U.S. content than a USMCA-compliant vehicle from Mexico or Canada that is half American parts." Cars are the U.K.'s largest export to the U.S., worth around £9 billion ($11.9 billion) in 2024, according to the BBC. "The car industry is vital to the U.K.'s economic prosperity, sustaining 250,000 jobs. We warmly welcome this deal which secures greater certainty for our sector and the communities it supports," Jaguar Land Rover CEO Adrian Mardell said according to Ars Technica. American Automotive Policy Council President Matt Blunt is unsurprisingly dissatisfied with the President's prioritization of foreign automakers over domestic ones. A portion of Blunt's release read: "We hope this preferential access for U.K. vehicles over North American ones does not set a precedent for future negotiations with Asian and European competitors." Still, the U.K.-U.S. deal is more symbolic, as it will likely have a limited impact. Most U.K. automakers, such as Jaguar Land Rover, operate at the higher end of the pricing spectrum, restricting their overall U.S. market presence despite strong sales in the luxury segment. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
White House downplays North American auto industry's concerns about U.K. trade deal
WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday downplayed the North American automobile industry's claim that U.S. President Donald Trump's new trade deal with the United Kingdom could make the sector less competitive. "The idea that an American buyer can now import a Jaguar for less than a Dodge Charger is everything that is wrong with the Trump tariff war on cars," said Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association in Canada. The preliminary trade deal with the U.K. announced on Thursday came at a critical time for the Trump administration, as its polling numbers slide and as Americans grow more concerned about rising prices and markets in turmoil. While the agreement has not been finalized and many details remain unclear, it sent shockwaves across a North American automobile industry already reeling from Trump's tariffs. American Automotive Policy Council President Matt Blunt said Thursday that "it will now be cheaper to import a U.K. vehicle with very little U.S. content" than to bring in a vehicle from Canada or Mexico that complies with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade and is half-constructed from American parts. The council represents the Big Three automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — which have spent months pressing the Trump administration to drop tariffs. "We hope this preferential access for U.K. vehicles over North American ones does not set a precedent for future negotiations with Asian and European competitors," Blunt said in a media statement. When asked about the automobile industry's concerns on Friday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president "wants to put them on the best pedestal to compete." She said if they want to avoid tariffs, they should build their products completely in America. "I would argue, of any industry, the president has spent more time talking to and listening to the concerns of our auto industry here at home. He hears them. He believes in them," she said. "He wants to see them produce their vehicles here in the United States of America. This is a good deal for them, too." The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, also called CUSMA, was negotiated during the first Trump administration and included boosted supports for the North American automobile industry. The industry is now being assaulted on all fronts by the president's tariff regime. Trump slapped a 25 per cent tariff on all vehicle imports to the United States last month, but later ordered a partial carve-out for vehicles from Canada and Mexico compliant with CUSMA. Those cars only are hit with duties on their non-American components. The North American automobile sector is deeply integrated and vehicles cross borders multiple times before completion. Experts say most vehicles finished in Canada are made with more than 50 per cent American parts. After the automotive companies publicly warned that the tariffs would cost them billions of dollars, raise costs for consumers and upend businesses, Trump provided small measures of relief earlier this month, including an order excluding CUSMA-compliant auto parts from the tariffs. The U.K. trade deal has many in the auto sector worried that the Trump administration's dash to make deals with dozens of other countries could further erode the continental auto industry. "It's incomprehensible that the United States would strike a trade agreement with the U.K. that provides U.K.-manufactured vehicles with preferential access to the U.S. market over Canada," said Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association. "We have been building vehicles together for 60 years. We have an existing trade agreement … and the majority of the parts and components in a Canadian-produced vehicle are in fact American." Kingston said Ottawa must act quickly to get the Trump administration to the table to talk about CUSMA and the integrated North American auto industry — and can't afford to wait while Washington makes deals with other countries. Leavitt did not rule out lower tariffs on vehicles for other countries but said "all of these deals are going to be tailor-made." Trump launched, then partially paused, his trade war with the world through "reciprocal" tariffs in April. A 10 per cent universal tariff is in place for most countries, while Trump slapped Chinese imports with a 145 per cent duty. Trump has said the 90-day pause was meant to allow time to negotiate trade deals — but the United Kingdom's preliminary agreement was the first such announcement. Trump claimed on social media Thursday that he has "Many Trade Deals in the hopper, all good (GREAT!) ones!" — With files from Kyle Duggan in Ottawa This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2025. Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
eNCA
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- eNCA
US automakers blast Trump's UK trade deal
NEW YORK - The Trump administration's latest trade deal with Britain unfairly penalises US automakers that have partnered with Canada and Mexico, a trade group representing Detroit automakers said. In a sharply worded statement, the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC) said the US-UK trade deal "hurts American automakers, suppliers, and auto workers," according to the group's president Matt Blunt. The deal unveiled Thursday between US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer lowers the tariff on British vehicles to 10 percent from 27.5 percent on the first 100,000 cars shipped from Britain to the United States. In contrast, AAPC members Ford, General Motors Company and Jeep-maker Stellantis now face import tariffs of 25 percent on autos assembled in Canada and Mexico. The Detroit companies organised their supply chains around the 2020 US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which Trump negotiated in his first term. "We are disappointed that the administration prioritised the UK ahead of our North American partners," Blunt said. "Under this deal, it will now be cheaper to import a UK vehicle with very little US content than a USMCA-compliant vehicle from Mexico or Canada that is half American parts." Trump last week unveiled some steps to lessen the impact of tariffs on imported auto parts in moves applauded by GM and Ford. The Trump administration will allow companies that assemble autos in the United States to deduct a fraction of the cost of imported parts for two years to give the industry enough time to relocate supply chains. In another change, the administration said companies wouldn't face a 25 percent levy on imported steel or aluminium in addition to a 25 percent levy for an imported vehicle. But last week's changes did not soften the 25 percent tariff on imported finished autos. The Trump administration plans to negotiate separate agreements with Japan, South Korea and the European Union, all of which export finished autos to the United States.
Euronews
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- Euronews
Trump considers pausing auto tariffs as world economy endures whiplash
ADVERTISEMENT 'I'm looking at something to help some of the car companies with it,' Trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office. The Republican president said automakers needed time to relocate production from Canada, Mexico and other places, "And they need a little bit of time because they're going to make them here, but they need a little bit of time. So I'm talking about things like that.' Matt Blunt, president of American Automotive Policy Council, an association representing Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, said the group shared Trump's goals of increased domestic production. 'There is increasing awareness that broad tariffs on parts could undermine our shared goal of building a thriving and growing American auto industry, and that many of these supply chain transitions will take time," Blunt said. Trump's statement hinted at yet another round of reversals on tariffs as Trump's onslaught of import taxes has panicked financial markets and raised deep concerns from Wall Street economists about a possible recession. When Trump announced the 25% auto tariffs on March 27, he described them as 'permanent.' His hard lines on trade have become increasingly blurred as he has sought to limit the possible economic and political blowback from his policies. Last week, after a bond market sell-off pushed up interest rates on US debt, Trump announced that for 90 days his broader tariffs against dozens of countries would instead be set at a baseline 10% to give time for negotiations. At the same time, Trump increased the import taxes on China to 145%, only to temporarily exempt electronics from some of those tariffs by having those goods charged at a 20% rate. 'I don't change my mind, but I'm flexible,' Trump said on Monday. Market uncertainty Trump's flexibility has also fuelled a sense of uncertainty and confusion about his intentions and end goals. The S&P 500 stock index was up 0.8% Monday, but it's still down nearly 8% this year. Interest rates on 10-year US Treasury notes were elevated at roughly 4.4%. Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist for the Northern Trust global financial firm, said the whiplash had been so great that he might have to 'get fitted for a neck brace.' Tannenbaum warned in an analysis: 'Damage to consumer, business, and market confidence may already be irreversible.' Maroš Šefčovič, the European commissioner for trade and economic security, posted on X on Monday that on behalf of the European Union he engaged in trade negotiations with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. "The EU remains constructive and ready for a fair deal — including reciprocity through our 0-for-0 tariff offer on industrial goods and the work on non-tariff barriers," Šefčovič said. The US president also said that he spoke with Apple CEO Tim Cook and 'helped' him recently. Many Apple products, including its popular iPhone, are assembled in China. Apple didn't respond to a Monday request for comment about the latest swings in the Trump administration's tariff pendulum. ADVERTISEMENT Even if the exemptions granted on electronics last week turn out to be short-lived, the temporary reprieve gives Apple some breathing room to figure out ways to minimise the trade war's impact on its iPhone sales in the US. That prospect helped lift Apple's stock price 2% on Monday. Still, the stock gave up some of its earlier 7% increase as investors processed the possibility that the iPhone could still be jolted by more tariffs on Chinese-made products in the weeks ahead. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said Apple is clearly in a far better position than it was a week ago, but he warned there's still 'mass uncertainty, chaos, and confusion about the next steps ahead.' One possible workaround Apple may be examining during the current tariff reprieve is how to shift even more of its iPhone production from its longtime hubs in China to India, where it began expanding its manufacturing while Trump waged a trade war during his first term as president. ADVERTISEMENT The Trump administration has suggested that its tariffs had isolated China as the US engaged in talks with other countries. But China is also seeking to build tighter relationships in Asia with nations stung by Trump's tariffs. China's leader, Xi Jinping, on Monday met in Hanoi with Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary To Lam with the message that no one wins in trade wars. Asked about the meeting, Trump suggested the two nations were conspiring to do economic harm to the US by 'trying to figure out how do we screw the United States of America.'
