Trump’s Tariffs Leave Automakers With Tough, Expensive Choices

No. 1, the president is not running for reelection — so where this may have been a political concern in his first term, it’s not a political concern now. … And No. 2, we’re probably gonna lose the House in the midterms.”

As for political blowback, this person continued

We are the greatest economic team and April 2nd will be a historic day for American workers,

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said

I don’t think it’s like no one wants to tell Trump the bad, the hard news,

said one of the outside allies mentioned above

I think it would be a mistake to think next week all of a sudden we’re going to get a bunch of clarity,

said Tom Graff, chief investment officer at financial advisory firm Facet

He goes into the Oval and tells the president whatever he wants to hear,

said the first White House ally, who called Lutnick a “fucking nightmare” and argued he does so without consideration of the economic consequences

We may have sectoral tariffs on April 2, and we may not,

a White House official, granted anonymity to discuss ongoing deliberations, said Monday

I think he wants to keep his options open,

Graff added

Peter Navarrowhite House trade adviser

As the movie ‘Drumline’ goes, ‘one band, one sound,

White House senior adviser for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro said in a statement

No one knows what the fuck is going on,

said one White House ally close to Trump’s inner circle, granted anonymity to speak freely

I may give a lot of countries breaks,

Trump said

The president isn’t looking at it like they are, ... For [him], if the economy tanks, then fine, the economy tanks — because the president truly believes that it will rebound and the countries will give in because they can’t withstand the pressure from the U.S.”

said one of the people close to Trump’s inner circle of the president’s advisers

Consumers continue to worry about the potential for pain amid ongoing economic policy developments,

Joanne Hsu, the survey’s director, said in a release

The parts department in any dealership or repair shop is a United Nations of parts, sourced from all over the world,

Chadwick said

US consumers will likely hold on to their existing cars for longer, and may switch to buying used cars, so used car prices will rise,

said UBS’ Donovan

Tariffs will most certainly cause higher costs in parts, which can constitute up to 40% or more of a repair bill,

said Skyler Chadwick, director of product consulting at Cox Automotive, an automotive services company

If you notice any significant price hikes in the short term, ask the service manager or adviser to explain them,

Chadwick said

David Doyleamerican actor (1929–1997)

It is unclear administratively how straightforward this process will be to navigate for auto suppliers, adding to uncertainty,

said David Doyle, head of economics at Macquarie, in a Thursday note

Many vehicle parts are sourced globally, which would increase repair costs for car owners and reconditioning costs for dealers,

said Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at Edmunds

Even unaffected suppliers may raise prices to expand margins amidst a reduction in overall supply,

said Wolfgang Alschner, a professor of economic law at the University of Ottawa

Everybody wants clarity because however it plays out, it gives the roadmap and we’re going to adapt, adjust,

said Jack McIntyre, portfolio manager for Brandywine Global