Trump Delays US Tariffs on Heavy Truck Imports to Nov. 1
The Proposed Levies — Originally Slated to Take Effect Oct. 1 — Have Been Subject to Pushback From OEMs
Key Takeaways:
- President Donald Trump said 25% tariffs on imported medium- and heavy-duty trucks will take effect Nov. 1 after a delay from the original Oct. 1 start date.
- The move follows a Commerce Department probe under Section 232 into foreign truck imports deemed vital to national security, with more than $20 billion in trade at stake.
- Automakers and suppliers are lobbying for exemptions ahead of the deadline as the new duties add to existing tariffs and precede a Supreme Court hearing on Trump’s broader trade powers.
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President Donald Trump said 25% duties on medium- and heavy-duty trucks would begin Nov. 1, the latest expansion of his tariff regime aimed at protecting domestic industries.
The proposal has been subject to an intense lobbying campaign by Detroit’s legacy automakers. Trump originally said last month that heavy-duty truck levies would start Oct. 1, but that timeline slipped as officials heard appeals from companies concerned about the impact.
“Beginning November 1st, 2025, all Medium and Heavy Duty Trucks coming into the United States from other Countries will be Tariffed at the Rate of 25%,” the president posted Oct. 6, without offering further details.
Trump’s announcement is tied to a probe launched in April by the Commerce Department into heavy truck imports. That investigation, conducted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, allows for the imposition of import taxes on goods deemed critical to national security.
The probe focused on medium- and heavy-duty trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds as well as parts, with Commerce stating that a “small number” of foreign suppliers made up the bulk of U.S. imports due to “predatory trade practices.”
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The duties threaten an industry already feeling impacts from tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as tighter environmental regulations. New levies on imports could raise prices on vehicles used in a variety of sectors, including shipping, construction and municipal services.
MORE: How Trump's Tariffs on Trucks, Parts Could Hit Fleets, OEMs
Stellantis NV has urged the administration to waive or soften charges that could hit medium-duty Ram pickups the company makes in Mexico, according to people familiar with the matter. Rivals General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. have pushed back on the request, saying it would give Stellantis a cost advantage over U.S.-assembled trucks that contain imported parts already subject to tariffs, the people said.
But proponents of the move say it will help strengthen domestic manufacturing. Trump, in a social media post last week announcing the tariffs, cast them as necessary to “protect our Great Heavy Truck Manufacturers from unfair outside competition.”
Trump’s planned tariffs on imported heavy trucks “are a huge win for American workers and great U.S. manufacturers,” said Nick Iacovella of the Coalition for a Prosperous America, a protectionist group, after Trump’s initial announcement. “This action will strengthen this vital sector and protect it from unfair foreign competition.”
About 245,000 medium- and heavy-duty trucks were imported to the U.S. last year, a trade flow worth more than $20 billion, according to Commerce Department data.
The proposal could have wide-ranging impacts on companies, such as Daimler Truck Holding AG’s Freightliner, Volvo Group’s Mack Trucks and Paccar Inc.’s Peterbilt and Kenworth.
RELATED: Why America’s Trade Partners Oppose Trump’s Truck Tariffs
International Motors — formerly known as Navistar — is most reliant on imports, with about 98% of its U.S. trucks coming from Mexico, followed by Daimler at about 83%. By contrast, Paccar and Volvo produce nearly all of their U.S. trucks in America.
The new levies are part of a growing slate of industry-specific tariffs Trump is imposing. The administration has already imposed tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, copper, automobiles and auto parts. Additional levies on softwood timber and lumber, kitchen cabinets, vanities and upholstered wood products are set to apply from Oct. 14, with some increases kicking in on Jan. 1.
RELATED: If Trump Tariffs Are Ruled Illegal, Refund Chaos Is Expected
And more Section 232 investigations are ongoing into foreign-made solar panels, commercial aircraft, semiconductors, critical minerals, robotics, medical devices and industrial machinery.
The industry-specific tariffs also afford Trump more flexibility as his country-level duties — which he imposed citing a different authority, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act — are being challenged in the federal courts. The Supreme Court has scheduled arguments for Nov. 5.
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