Heavy-duty trucks are the latest target of President Donald Trump's vast array of tariffs.
Trump Thursday announced on Truth Social a 25% tariff on trucks beginning next month, citing "National Security purposes!" as the reason
He said:
"In order to protect our Great Heavy Truck Manufacturers from unfair outside competition, I will be imposing, as of October 1st, 2025, a 25% Tariff on all “Heavy (Big!) Trucks” made in other parts of the World. 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. We need our Truckers to be financially healthy and strong, for many reasons, but above all else, for National Security purposes!"
The majority of the Class 8 trucks on U.S. highways are manufactured here. However, both Daimler Truck North America and International have assembly plants in Mexico.
In April of 2024, Volvo announced it was building a new 1.7 million-square-foot assembly plant in Mexico. That facility is expected to be operational in 2026. It will produce both Volvo and Mack models.
Trump did not specify which weight classes of trucks would be included in the tariff.
Earlier this year in response to the prospect of tariffs on Class 8 trucks, the American Trucking Associations said, "With a new Class 8 truck costing an average of $170,000, a 25% tariff applied to all new trucks from Mexico would increase the retail price to $200,000."
Trucks were not the only items on which Trump announced new tariffs. He also said a 50% tariff would be levied on kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and related products. H also annouinced a 30% tariff on upholstered furniture.
Trump also announced a 100% tariff on pharmaceutical products if the product’s company is not building a plant in the U.S.
