Trump Says ‘Couldn’t Care Less’ If Foreign Auto Makers Raise Prices Due to Tariffs

‘If you make your car in the United States, you’re going to make a lot of money,’ he said.

President Donald Trump walks towards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on March 28, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

President Donald Trump said on March 29 that he did not ask automotive CEOs to avoid raising prices in response to sweeping tariffs and that he “couldn’t care less” if they do so on foreign-made cars.

The Trump administration is poised to levy 25 percent tariffs on all foreign-made automobiles and components on April 2, with temporary exceptions given to companies that import vehicles or parts under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) until the government creates a process for applying those duties, according to the White House.