Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump makes a gesture during a rally in Coachella, California, on October 12, 2024.
On Sunday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested he might impose tariffs exceeding 200% on vehicles imported from Mexico, stating that his goal is to stop the sale of Mexican cars in the U.S.
“I’ll put 200 or 500, I don’t care. I’ll set a number so high they can’t sell a single car,” Trump said during a Fox News interview aired on Sunday. “I don’t want them hurting our car companies.”
Trump, currently in a close race against Democrat Kamala Harris, has previously promised to impose a 100% tariff on imported cars and trucks if re-elected, aiming to boost the U.S. auto industry.
At a rally last week in Juneau, Wisconsin, Trump raised the proposed tariff even higher.
“When I say 200, it’s just a number,” he explained in a Fox News interview. “I don’t want their cars. They won’t be able to sell any. I’m not going to let them build factories just across the border and flood the U.S. with cars, further damaging Detroit.”
Trump previously threatened significant tariffs on cars from Mexico during his presidency and 2016 campaign. Automakers warned in 2019 that imposing tariffs as high as 25% on Mexican vehicles and parts could severely impact the industry and drive up car prices.
In 2018, under Trump’s urging, the United States, Mexico, and Canada renegotiated the North American free-trade agreement, introducing provisions that U.S. officials claimed would help retain more of the regionally integrated auto manufacturing within the U.S.
