Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he would impose tariffs as high as 200% on vehicles imported from Mexico, intensifying his protectionist trade stance ahead of the November 5 election. This announcement comes as Trump faces off against Democrat Kamala Harris in a competitive race.
At a rally in Juneau, Wisconsin, Trump reiterated his commitment to protecting the domestic auto industry, stating, “We’ll put a tariff of 200% on if we have to. We’re not going to let it happen. We’re not letting those cars come into the United States.” This marks a significant increase from his earlier pledge of a 100% tariff on imported cars and trucks.
Trump has campaigned extensively in Wisconsin, making his fourth visit to the state in just eight days, as opinion polls indicate that Harris holds a narrow lead there. Wisconsin has been a critical battleground state, having voted for President Joe Biden over Trump in the last election.
Both candidates are heavily investing in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, viewed as crucial for securing electoral votes. Trump won these states in 2016 against Hillary Clinton but lost them in 2020.
During the Juneau rally, Trump also criticized the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene, which caused significant devastation in the Southeast. He claimed that Harris had left people “stranded” without substantiating his statement, calling it “the worst response to a storm or a catastrophe or a hurricane that we’ve ever seen.”
In contrast, Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), defended the administration’s efforts in a separate appearance on ABC’s “This Week.” She stated, “We continue to move in critical commodities into the places that have been hard to reach,” and dismissed claims from Trump and other Republicans about FEMA funding being diverted to migrants as “frankly ridiculous and just plain false.”
The proposed tariffs on Mexican vehicles could significantly impact the auto industry, as Mexico exported approximately 3 million vehicles to the U.S. in 2023, with the Detroit Three automakers responsible for about half of those exports. Experts have warned that such tariffs could lead to higher vehicle prices across the board, affecting both new and used cars.
