Recently, the Trump Administration issued steel and aluminum tariffs that could potentially put U.S. jobs at risk, according to industry associations. Last week, the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) released a reaction to the legislation.
On Friday, Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association, issued the following statement:
“The Auto Care Association will continue to oppose the steel and aluminum tariffs that were announced by President Donald Trump on March 8. Based on the fact that there are few parts necessary for the upkeep of a vehicle that do not contain significant amounts of steel and aluminum, this action will have a significant negative impact throughout the supply chain, including many medium and small businesses and their employees that comprise the auto care industry. While we are grateful that our trading partners, Canada and Mexico, are currently exempt, it is our view that that these tariffs will quickly become a tax on the repair and maintenance of vehicles, a tax that will ultimately be paid for in higher repair prices by the American car owner. While we strongly urge the President to reconsider this action, at minimum we hope that the administration will look to create an efficient exemption process for qualified U.S. companies in order to alleviate the harm that will be caused by the imposition of this tariff.”
Governor Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC), issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s action on steel and aluminum tariffs:
“The temporary exemption for our trading partners in Canada and Mexico is a step in the right direction. We are committed to working with the Administration to find a long-term solution within the new framework that supports jobs in the U.S. auto industry and across the supply chain. We fully understand the desire to take action against nations whose unfair trade practices have led to global overcapacities in steel and aluminum, and encourage the Administration to adopt a targeted approach.”
In its formal comments submitted to the Commerce Department on the 232 steel and aluminum investigations, AAPC highlighted the fact that its automakers source the vast majority of the steel and aluminum used in U.S.-built cars and trucks from American mills and smelters. AAPC also noted that the U.S. automotive industry purchases about 15 percent of the steel consumed in the U.S. and nearly 38 percent of all aluminum used in the country.
The American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC) is a Washington, D.C. trade association that represents the common public policy interests of its member companies: FCA US, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co.
