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Trump’s 25 per cent tariff hands the car industry keys to China

We are now looking at a future where Beijing rules the road.

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New Hyundai vehicles at the Port of Tacoma in Tacoma, Washington, US, on Thursday, March 27, 2025. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to implement a 25% tariff on auto imports, expanding a trade war designed to bring more manufacturing jobs to the US and setting the stage for an even broader push on levies next week. Photographer: David Ryder/Bloomberg

US President Donald Trump's promised auto tariff will impact foreign-made cars, light trucks and vehicle parts.

PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

David Fickling

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If you had a vision of the future where the global car industry wasn’t dominated by China, you can kiss those dreams goodbye.

That’s because

US President Donald Trump’s promised 25 per cent tariff on auto imports,

announced late on March 19 Washington time, takes an axe to the only bits of the emerging electric vehicle (EV) supply chain that aren’t already dominated by Beijing.

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