In Focus: Tariffs and the US Auto Industry

Date

May 19, 2025

Producers

Annie M. Tastet, Matt Fleck, and Maya Krainc

Image

StockStudio Aerials / Shutterstock

Earlier this spring, the Trump administration imposed tariffs on imported vehicles and most vehicle parts. The tariffs are game-changing for US auto manufacturers, which compete with foreign companies and use imported parts in their own assembly lines. What could the tariffs mean for these companies and US consumers? In this In Focus Video, University of Maryland professor and RFF Senior Fellow Joshua Linn discusses new RFF modeling that projects the effect of auto tariffs on consumer costs, vehicle demand, electric vehicles, and more.

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