(States Newsroom) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday to impose a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks.
Trump, who campaigned on bringing down consumer costs, said during an Oval Office signing event the additional tax on foreign goods would spur U.S. production.
Asked if, like other tariffs Trump’s threatened, trade partners could do anything to avoid the fee on cars and trucks, Trump answered no. This tariff will remain in place until he leaves office, he said, and was meant to protect the U.S. industry.
“I think our automobile business will flourish like it’s never flourished before,” he said.
The tariff will go into effect April 2, he said. It will add to – not replace – any other applicable existing tariffs, he said.
“We’re going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things they’ve been taking over the years,” he said. “They’ve taken so much out of our country, friend and foe alike. And frankly, friend has been oftentimes much worse than foe.”
The measure could bring in $100 billion in tax revenue, a White House aide said during the Oval Office event.
Trump said the administration would have “very strong policing” to enforce the tariffs.
Trump said he did not seek advice from White House adviser Elon Musk, the CEO of U.S. electric carmaker Tesla, because “he might have a conflict.”
Trump said the tariffs may be good or neutral for Tesla, which he noted had large plants in Texas and California.
“Anybody that has plants in the United States it’s going to be good for,” he said.
