Before the White House confirmed to the media on Wednesday, some media said that Trump planned to exempt some auto parts from tariffs. The exemptions include tariffs on steel and aluminum, excluding the 25% tariff on imported complete vehicles, and will not affect the 25% tariff on auto parts scheduled to be implemented on May 3. Analysts believe that this is another retreat from Trump’s most aggressive tariff policy.

After intense lobbying by auto industry executives in recent weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump plans to exempt automakers from some of the toughest tariffs they have faced, media reports said. Analysts believe that this is another concession by Trump in the trade war.

Some media said Trump intends to exempt some tariffs on auto parts, including tariffs on imported steel and aluminum products. Later, another media reported that the White House had confirmed to it that Trump intended to exempt automakers from some tariffs.

People familiar with the matter told the previous media that this move was called "destacking" of tariffs. However, this exemption does not include the 25% tariff on imported complete vehicles, nor does it affect the 25% tariff on imported auto parts scheduled to be implemented on May 3.

Analysts believe that this concession will be an initial victory for the auto industry and another retreat from Trump's most aggressive tariff policy due to concerns that these tariffs will push up U.S. auto prices, disrupt supply chains, and lead to job losses.

After the news came out, auto stocks surged after the market opened. Among them, General Motors rose 6.1% after the market closed, Ford rose 3% after the market closed, and Stellantis's US stock price rose 6.8% after the market closed, but the stock price fell later.


Over the past week, auto company executives reportedly stepped up their criticism of the tariffs. Stellantis Chairman John Elkann warned that "Trump's trade policies are putting the U.S. and European auto industries at risk."

Another senior auto industry executive said:

"We've urged the administration - not to hit us again and again with these additional tariffs ... because that really puts the health of our entire industry at risk."

The tariff exemptions are the latest sign that Trump is offering "carve-outs" to specific industries after this month's tariff plan triggered a sharp sell-off in global markets and warnings that the United States could slip into recession.

On April 2, local time, according to CCTV News, the U.S. White House issued a statement stating that Trump would impose a 10% "base tariff" on all countries. On April 9, local time, the White House announced a 90-day suspension, but there is still the risk of triggering a full-scale global trade conflict.

According to the Global Times, late at night on April 11, Eastern Time, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a notice on its official website: The federal government has agreed to exempt electronic products such as smartphones, computers, and chips from "reciprocal tariffs"; exempted products apply to electronic products that entered the United States after April 5, and refunds for "reciprocal tariffs" that have been paid can be sought.

Trump also said last week that he would provide "help" to the auto industry. He has previously said that as long as companies comply with the provisions of the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), they can provide more preferential treatment for cars imported from Mexico and Canada.

For complete vehicles and parts that comply with the terms of the USMCA agreement, only the "non-U.S. content" portion will be subject to a 25% tariff. People familiar with the matter told the media that the current focus of negotiations is mainly on how to simplify the implementation of tariffs, such as simplifying the implementation procedures by simplifying the rules of origin for auto parts.