Move seen as a critical step to protect U.S. manufacturing, American jobs, and national security
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) today applauded President Trump’s move to impose tariffs on imports of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, medium- and heavy-duty vehicle parts, and buses, into the United States following the Department of Commerce’s Section 232 investigation. The proclamation issued by the White House late Friday further ensures that a trusted, domestic industrial base is vital to military readiness, civil emergency response, and infrastructure resilience.
The tariffs will be set at an ad valorem duty rate (the percentage of the item’s value) of 25 percent on all medium- and heavy-duty vehicles; at 10 percent on all buses; and, for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle parts via a complicated set of rules for all parts that undergo final vehicle assembly in the U.S.
“CPA remains the proud leading voice for our domestic trucking sector in addressing this critical national security threat. U.S. medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturing directly supports hundreds of thousands of jobs ranging from assembly, to supplier networks, to dealership operations, and logistics services,” said Jon Toomey, President of CPA. “As foreign-built trucks displace U.S.-made vehicles – and as production shifts to Mexico – this skilled workforce and industrial sector is placed at immediate risk. This reliance jeopardizes transportation and infrastructure safety, undermines our national security, and weakens the broader U.S. economy while emboldening foreign assemblers supplied by our adversaries.”
In May, CPA released its comments submitted to the Department of Commerce for its Section 232 National Security Investigation of the Domestic Trucking Sector under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. CPA documented how the domestic trucking sector underpins U.S. commerce, and that ensuring a domestic industrial base for producing these trucks is vital to military readiness and civil emergency response.
Key Recommendations from CPA’s Comments:
- A temporary exclusion from tariffs for select components used to build trucks in the United States.
- Retroactive duty drawback on qualifying imports dating back to March 4, 2025.
- Affirmation in the Section 232 investigation that medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturing is essential to national security.
- Consideration of a Section 232 tariff on fully assembled trucks imported from countries that benefit from trade distortions, including Mexico.
“China-linked parts and components are re-entering U.S. defense supply chains, and America’s dependence on foreign-made parts, components, and assembly directly contributes to employment consequences for U.S. truck manufacturing that could be severe and irreversible,” continued Toomey. “Additionally, trucks built in Mexico, where enforcement of rules of origin and component sourcing is weaker, often include components of Chinese origin. The clear risk posed should – and has – raised significant national security red flags for this Administration, while falling directly in line with their stated goal of reshoring American manufacturing and protecting our military readiness.”
CPA continues to advocate that Commerce use the findings of this critical Section 232 investigation to ensure that there are strong measures put in place to rebuild America’s domestic trucking sector. This mission underpins U.S. strategic mobility, military readiness, and will help end our dangerous overreliance on foreign sources that threaten our national security and sovereignty.
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