In an announcement Thursday, President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping new tariffs on imported heavy-duty trucks, furniture and pharmaceuticals set to take effect Wednesday.
Washington said it will impose a 25% import tax on all heavy-duty trucks, aimed at boosting domestic truck production.
“In order to protect our Great Heavy Truck Manufacturers from unfair outside competition, I will be imposing, as of October 1, 2025, a 25% Tariff on all ‘Heavy (Big!) Trucks’ made in other parts of the World,” Trump wrote on social media. “Therefore, our Great Large Truck Company Manufacturers, such as Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack Trucks, and others, will be protected from the onslaught of outside interruptions.”
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Mexico was the largest exporter of medium- and heavy-duty trucks to the U.S. last year, followed by Canada, Japan, Germany and Turkey, according to the International Trade Administration.
Further details on whether the duties will apply to Canada- or Mexico-made trucks that are compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and whether they will be stacked on top of country-based tariffs were not disclosed.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce noted that imports of commercial trucks and parts used in their manufacture are sourced overwhelmingly from U.S. allies.
“The top five import sources (by customs value) are Mexico, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Finland, all of which are allies or close partners of the United States posing no threat to U.S. national security,” the chamber said in a May news release. “The U.S. Chamber contends that manufacturers should not be penalized with tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada after making significant investments and adjustments to overcome [supply chain] challenges.
Truck sales have been sluggish for most of the year. As of August, Class 8 truck orders were down about 24% year over year compared to the same month in 2024, according to ACT Research.
CT Research Equipment Orders – Class 8 SONAR: ORDERS.CL8. To learn more about SONAR, click here.
Trump also announced a 100% levy on branded or patented drug imports (unless a company is building a factory in the U.S.); and 50% levies on kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
“The reason for this is the large scale ‘FLOODING’ of these products into the United States by other outside Countries,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social.
