Headlines
Factbox-Global car industry in firing line of Trump's tariffs on Mexico, Canada
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 30, 2025
5 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 30, 2025
5 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
Trump's tariffs on Mexico and Canada impact the auto industry, with major manufacturers like Ford and GM facing significant challenges.
(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and a fresh 10% duty on those from China from Feb. 4, demanding those countries stop the flow of fentanyl and the flow of immigrants in the case of Canada and Mexico, into the United States.
Around 90% of auto exports from both Mexico and Canada go to the U.S., according to the Mexican Automotive Manufacturers' Association (AMIA) and the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association.
German automakers, of which Volkswagen would be most affected, have warned against the tariffs, saying they would cause inflation for consumers.
Here are the automakers that would be affected, in alphabetical order:
AUDI
Volkswagen's Audi plant in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico, makes the Q5, employing just over 5,000 people. It produced nearly 176,000 cars in 2023, its website showed. In the first half of 2024, nearly 40,000 were exported to the U.S., according to Mexico's AMIA.
BMW
BMW's plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, produces the 3 Series, 2 Series Coupe and M2, with nearly all output going to the U.S. and other markets worldwide, according to the carmaker. From 2027, it will produce the all-electric Neue Klasse model line.
FORD
Ford has three plants in Mexico: its Chihuahua engine plant, and two assembly plants in Cautitlan and Hermosillo.
It exported just under 196,000 cars from Mexico to North America in the first half of 2024, with 90% of vehicles going to the U.S., according to Mexico's AMIA.
In Canada, it has an assembly plant in Oakville where it plans to produce a larger, gas-powered F-Series pickup truck from 2026. GENERAL MOTORSGM imported roughly 750,000 vehicles from Canada or Mexico in 2024 to the U.S., with most manufactured in Mexico, according to business analytics firm GlobalData.
They include some of GM’s most popular vehicles, including the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra full-sized pickups, and mid-sized SUVs.
GM's Mexican plants also build two of its critical new electric vehicles, battery-powered versions of its Equinox and Blazer SUVs.
In Canada, GM operates three plants, producing electric vans, the Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty truck, and the V8 engine and dual clutch transmission for shipment worldwide.
HONDA MOTOR
Honda Motor sends 80% of its Mexican output to the U.S. market. It warned on Nov. 6 that it would have to consider shifting production if the U.S. imposed permanent tariffs on Mexican imports.
JAC MOTORS
JAC Motors assembles JAC brand vehicles via a joint venture with Mexican firm Giant Motors.
KIA CORP
South Korea's Kia Corp has a factory in Mexico that makes its own vehicles and some Santa Fe SUVs for its affiliate Hyundai Motor for export to the United States.
MAZDA
Mazda exported around 120,000 vehicles from Mexico to the United States in 2023, but has said it may reconsider further investments if tariffs are imposed.
NISSAN MOTOR
Nissan Motor has two plants in Mexico where it makes the Sentra, Versa and Kicks models for the U.S. market. It produced nearly 505,000 vehicles in Mexico in the first nine months of 2024.
STELLANTIS
Stellantis operates two assembly plants in Mexico: Saltillo, which makes Ram pick-ups and vans, and Toluca, for the Jeep Compass mid-sized SUV.
The Franco-Italian-American group also owns two assembly plants in Ontario, Canada: Windsor, where it makes Chrysler models, and Brampton, currently under retooling and scheduled to resume production in 2025 with a new Jeep model.
TOYOTA MOTOR
Toyota Motor builds its Tacoma pick-up truck at two plants in Mexico. It sold more than 230,000 of them in the U.S. in 2023, representing about 10% of its total sales in that market. Toyota used to produce the Tacoma in the U.S. but now ships all of them from Mexico.
VOLKSWAGEN
Volkswagen's factory in Puebla is the largest auto plant in Mexico and one of the largest in the Volkswagen Group, according to the carmaker's website. Nearly 350,000 cars were made there in 2023, including the Jetta, Tiguan and Taos, all for export to the U.S.
In Canada, Volkswagen is building a battery gigafactory in St. Thomas, Ontario, investing up to C$7 billion ($4.9 billion) with a view to use the batteries for cars it sells in North America. Production is expected to begin by 2027.
AUTO SUPPLIERS
Sweden's Autoliv, the world's largest maker of airbags and seat belts, said it employs around 15,000 staff in Mexico.
MICHELIN
Tyre maker Michelin has two plants in Mexico - Queretaro and Leon - and three in Canada: Pictou, Bridgewater and Waterville.
YANFENG
Chinese seat maker Yanfeng Automotive Interiors supplies automakers including General Motors and Toyota from its plants in Mexico.
OTHERS
Other part makers with plants in Mexico serving automotive production for the U.S. market include Italian tyremaker Pirelli, Italian premium brakes maker Brembo and Italy's Eurogroup Laminations.
Eurogroup Laminations, which counts Tesla among its clients, specialises in stators and rotors, two key components of electric motors and generators.
U.S. automaker Tesla encouraged its Chinese suppliers to set up plants in Mexico in 2023 to supply the factory it was planning to build in the country from early 2025, but its plans have not materialised.
($1 = 1.4408 Canadian dollars)
(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee in Berlin, Daniel Leussink and Maki Shiraki in Tokyo, Heekyong Yang in Seoul, Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh in Shanghai, Wen-Yee Lee in Taipei, Christoph Steitz and Helen Reid in London; Paolo Landini in Gdansk, Giulio Piovaccari and Elisa Anzolin in Milan, Gilles Guillaume in Paris, Marie Mannes in Stockholm. Writing by Miyoung Kim, Victoria Waldersee, Josephine Mason, and Andrey Sychev. Editing by Mark Potter, Elaine Hardcastle)
Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, along with a 10% duty on imports from China starting February 4.
Automakers such as Ford, GM, Honda, and Volkswagen are among those significantly impacted, as they export a large percentage of their vehicles from Mexico and Canada to the U.S.
German automakers, particularly Volkswagen, have warned that the tariffs could lead to inflation for consumers, increasing vehicle prices.
Some automakers, like Honda, have indicated they may need to consider shifting production if the tariffs become permanent.
The automotive supply chain is crucial, as many parts and vehicles are manufactured in Mexico and Canada, with a significant portion exported to the U.S. market.
Explore more articles in the Headlines category
