Washington will impose a 25% import tariff on cars not made in the US, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday at the press conference in the White House.
The tariffs will take effect on 2 April and will be charged from 3 April. The US government expects them to generate an additional $100 billion (£93 billion) in annual revenue.
The car-import tariffs represent a new step in President Trump’s conflict with US trading partners. They are likely to have an impact on major car brands such as Toyota in Japan and Volkswagen in Germany.
However, Trump believes the tariffs will actually boost the domestic car industry by compelling major automakers to move their production to the United States.
The US President said he would announce further import tariffs on 2 April, which he calls America’s 'Liberation Day.' These will be reciprocal tariffs against countries that impose duties on US products.
In many cases, the tariffs will be lower than those other countries have imposed on US goods, Trump said, reiterating his oft-repeated claim that the US has not been treated fairly by other countries.
