Automakers received temporary reprieve Wednesday from US President Donald Trump’s tariffs targeting Canada and Mexico, as concerns mounted over consumer impacts and talks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yielded no immediate breakthrough.
Following discussions with the “Big Three” US automakers — Stellantis, Ford and General Motors — Trump decided to “give a one-month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, referring to the North American free trade pact.
“They made the ask, and the president is happy to do it,” Leavitt told reporters.
But prospects of wider relief were dampened after Trump’s call with Trudeau, with the US leader saying he was unconvinced Ottawa had done enough to address Washington’s concerns over illicit fentanyl.
Canada contributes less than one percent of fentanyl to the United States’ illicit supply, according to Canadian and US government data. But Trump has shrugged off these figures.
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