Trump: All Medium-, Heavy-Duty Trucks Entering US Will See 25 Percent Tariff on Nov. 1

The tariffs will affect medium and large vehicles ranging from delivery trucks and shuttles to semi-trucks and heavy-duty vocational vehicles.

A semi-truck hauling an empty shipping container arrives at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif., on June 5, 2025. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times

President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 6 that all medium- and heavy-duty trucks entering the United States will see a 25 percent tariff starting on Nov. 1.

“Beginning November 1st, 2025, all Medium and Heavy Duty Trucks coming into the United States from other Countries will be Tariffed at the Rate of 25 [percent],” Trump wrote on social media.

Late last month, Trump said he was imposing a 25 percent tariff on all heavy trucks made in other parts of the world starting on Oct. 1, citing national security concerns. He said the move was aimed at protecting American truck manufacturers such as Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, and Mack Trucks “from the onslaught of outside interruptions.”

The announcements are the latest step in the president’s global tariff regime, which has targeted multiple sectors and industries importing products from outside the United States.

Recent trade deals with Japan and the European Union also saw the United States agreeing to 15 percent tariffs on light-duty vehicles, but it’s not clear whether the same rate will be applied to larger vehicles.

Larger vehicles include delivery trucks, public utility trucks, garbage trucks, transit and shuttle vehicles, school buses, tractor-trailer trucks, semi-trucks, and heavy-duty vocational vehicles.

The tariffs follow a Section 232-type investigation into imports of medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks initiated by the Commerce Department in late April. Section 232 investigations are intended to determine “the effect of imports on the national security,” according to the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security.

Jeffrey Kessler, the under secretary of commerce for industry and security, wrote in a statement that “a strong and resilient automotive and truck industry is vital to ... national security.”

At the time, the Commerce Department said it was taking public comment in relation to the investigation.

The following month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce responded to the Commerce Department’s Section 232 investigation and urged the Trump administration not to impose new tariffs on medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

The Chamber of Commerce noted that “imports of medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks (commercial trucks) and parts used in their manufacture are sourced overwhelmingly from U.S. allies and defense partners.”

“The top five import sources ... 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 stated.

Mexico is the world’s largest exporter of medium- and heavy-duty trucks to the United States. Imports of larger vehicles originating from Mexico have tripled since 2019 to roughly 340,000, according to a study released in January based on government statistics.

However, the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement allows medium- and heavy-duty trucks to move across borders without tariffs if at least 64 percent of the heavy truck’s value comes from North America, including parts such as engines and axles, raw materials, and labor in assembly.

Chrysler’s parent company Stellantis may be affected by the new tariffs, as it produces heavy-duty Ram trucks and commercial vans in Mexico. Stellantis has lobbied the Trump administration to not impose new import duties on its Mexican-manufactured trucks.

Mexico is a major market for the United States’ passenger vehicles, light vehicles, trucks, auto parts, supplies, and technologies required for electric vehicles, according to the International Trade Administration.

“Eighty-eight percent of vehicles produced in Mexico are exported, with 76 percent destined for the United States,” the group said. “Mexico is the leading global exporter of tractor trucks, 95.1 percent of which are destined for the United States.”

Established automakers in Mexico include Audi, BMW, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jac by Giant Motors, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Stellantis, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

The International Trade Administration also noted that Mexico is the fifth-largest manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicles used for cargo, hosting “14 manufacturers and assemblers of buses, trucks, and tractor trucks, and two manufacturers of engines.”

Reuters contributed to this report.