President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Tuesday granting some relief from auto tariffs.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president will sign an order on auto tariffs, declining to elaborate on specifics. While Trump has no signings listed on his public schedule, he will be making an appearance Tuesday in auto-heavy Michigan to celebrate 100 days in office.
Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held an early news briefing Tuesday, which largely centered on tariff policy.
“President Trump has had meetings with both domestic and foreign auto producers,” Bessent said. “And he’s committed to bringing back auto production to the U.S. So we want to give the automakers a path to do that quickly, efficiently, and create as many jobs as possible.”
Reports emerged Monday evening that Trump would walk back some of his auto tariffs. The Wall Street Journal reported that import levies placed on foreign-made cars would not be subject to other tariffs, and that some tariffs on foreign parts used on domestic cars could be removed.
Bessent also declined to go into detail.
“I can tell you that it will go substantially toward reshoring American auto manufacturing,” Bessent said. “The goal here is to bring back the high-quality industrial jobs to the U.S.”
The new policy could mean that importers paying auto tariffs won’t also have to pay Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, for example. Trump placed a 25% tariff on foreign-made autos earlier this month, though cars bearing labels that are assembled in the United States would also be exempt.
Duties on foreign auto parts are set to take effect Saturday.
General Motors reported a 6.6% drop in profits during the first quarter of 2025. Executives said tariffs played only a small role but that continued uncertainty could affect future earnings.
GM chief financial officer Paul Jacobson warned that the future impact of tariffs could be significant.
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Automakers may also be reimbursed for some of the cost of tariffs, according to the New York Times, helping ease the pain and preventing significant price hikes from reaching consumers.
Polling shows the public souring on Trump’s tariff regime, with his approval ratings on the economy in particular sinking as he hits 100 days in office.