iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and five key technologies for producing lithium for all battery types.  The U.S.-China trade relationship has deteriorated dramatically since President Trump began implementing new tariff policies. Technology export controls represent a significant escalation beyond tariffs, moving the conflict into the realm of technological protectionism. These restrictions pose an immediate threat to manufacturing at Ford’s U...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/17

Daimler Truck North America to lay off 2,000 workers in U.S., Mexico On July 14, Daimler Truck North America announced it will lay off around 2,000 employees at five sites across the U.S. and Mexico due to the weak and uncertain freight market caused by tariffs and trade problems that spill over to affect domestic industries. “As we navigate a challenging economic environment, we’ve seen a notable slowdown in new truck orders, particularly in...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/17

Thailand’s auto industry confronts U.S. tariffs and steel price surge Reported on July 12, 2025, Thai auto parts manufacturers are bracing for the impact of steep U.S. tariffs and volatile global steel prices, which are two developments threatening to disrupt the automotive supply chain. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI)’s Auto Parts Industry Club recently convened to address these growing concerns. In April, the U.S. imposed a 25% tari...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/16

Volvo Cars announces SEK 11.4 billion impairment charge due to tariffs and EV launch delays On July 14, Volvo Cars announced that it will record a one-off non-cash impairment charge of SEK 11.4 billion in the second quarter of 2025. The charge stems from revised financial assumptions related to the EX90 and ES90 platforms, following past launch delays and newly imposed import tariffs in several key markets. Despite a major software upgrade and a ...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/15

Vietnam eases tariff conditions for green vehicles, raises export duties on key materials On July 8, 2025, the Vietnamese government enacted Decree No. 199/2025/ND-CP, updating export and preferential import tariffs to support domestic vehicle production, especially eco-friendly models, and adjust key raw material duties. These changes underscore Vietnam’s commitment to sustainable growth, green vehicle production, and resource security. Notabl...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/15

d them as routine, saying they are part of “a standard operating process” to optimize production. While summer shutdowns are standard in the industry, analysts noted that the second half of 2025 may not sustain the strong sales momentum seen earlier in the year, with upcoming price hikes due to tariffs expected to dampen demand. (Mexico Now on July 14, 2025)...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/15

s minority government. “They sell us millions and millions of cars a year. We sell them no cars because they won’t accept our cars. And they won’t accept much of our agriculture either,” Trump told reporters in Washington on July 13. Trump previously announced he will raise across-the-board tariffs on Japan to 25% on August 1, accompanying the 25% sector tariffs on autos and auto parts.  Bessent is coming to Japan to visit the World Expo...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/15

EU plans to join other nations hit by U.S. tariffs The EU is preparing to step up its engagement with other countries hit by Trump’s tariffs following new threats to U.S. trading partners, according to people familiar with the matter. Contacts and potential coordination will take place with nations, including Canada and Japan, said the people. The move comes as talks between the EU and U.S. are stalled on several issues, including cars and tari...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/15

Trump announces 30% tariffs on EU and Mexico starting August 1 On July 12, President Trump said the U.S. will impose a 30% tariff on goods from the European Union and Mexico that will take effect on August 1. Trump revealed the new rates in letters to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum posted on his social media site Truth Social. “Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/15

Nissan considers building Armada, QX80, new midsize SUVs in Canton plant In response to U.S. tariffs on imported vehicles, Nissan is now considering bringing some production of the body-on-frame Nissan Armada and Infiniti QX80 SUVs from Kyushu, Japan to Canton, Mississippi to meet increasing North American demand for the models, a source with knowledge of the matter said. The Armada, sold outside the U.S. as the Patrol, would continue to be built...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/15

Stellantis postpones 2026 Dodge Hornet for U.S. market due to tariffs On July 14, Stellantis announced it is postponing production of the 2026 Dodge Hornet compact crossover to “assess the effects of U.S. tariff policies” . The Hornet, sibling of the Alfa Romeo Tonale, is also built at Giambattista Vico Assembly Plant in Naples, Italy, and is subject to a 25% tariff when shipped into the U.S. The Hornet debuted in 2023 in the compact utility ...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/15

Trump threatens 35% tariffs on Canadian goods On July 10, President Trump posted a letter on his Truth Social site to Prime Minister Mark Carney threatening to impose 35% tariffs on Canadian goods that will take effect on August 1, and wrote that he will increase the levies if Canada retaliates. Trump and Carney have been in negotiations to come to a trade resolution by July 21. Acknowledging the letter, Carney said in a social media post he was ...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/12

rt of its counter-tariff strategy, Canada imposed a 25% “counter-measure surtax” on all passenger cars and light trucks from the U.S. since April 9. This move, on top of brand damage caused by Elon Musk, has severely curtailed Tesla’s sales in the market.  Following the imposition of counter-tariffs, Tesla increased the price of the Model Y to CAD 84,000, which is the equivalent of USD 61,400 or about 20% more than the cost of the Model Y ...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/12

measures to become a leaner, more efficient organization with a structurally lower cost base,” a Volvo spokeswoman said in a statement.  The U.S. remains a key market for Volvo, which saw its U.S. sales rise 6% to 64,680 in the first half of 2025, while global deliveries fell 9%. Volvo is facing tariffs in the U.S. market, where 90% of the vehicles it sells are imported. Volvo‘s underutilized U.S. assembly plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/11

FTI urges action after U.S. imposes 36% tariff on Thai goods Announced on July 8, 2025, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) stated that the U.S.’s decision to impose a 36% import tariff on all Thai goods, effective August 1, 2025, as an anti-dumping measure, is higher than expected. This rate exceeds tariffs on regional competitors like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, putting Thailand at a competitive disadvantage. The tariff could severe...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/09

merce Secretary Lutnick said he expected Trump to soon sign the proclamation that would put the copper tariff in place by the end of July. The news sent U.S. copper prices up 10.5% to new record highs of USD 5.8955 per pound, adding to the higher cost of manufacturing in the U.S., alongside the 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum. At the same cabinet meeting, the president discussed tariffs of up to 200% on pharmaceuticals and said he might send a ...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/09

EU still wants U.S. tariff deal by July 9 after Trump moves deadline to August The European Union is seeking to conclude a preliminary trade deal with the U.S. by July 9 that would allow it to lock in a 10% tariff rate ahead of President Trump’s new August 1 deadline for an agreement, according to a spokesperson for the European Commission. For the EU, tariffs on nearly all its exports to the U.S. would jump to 50% after the August deadline if ...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/09

Trump threatens 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea in first U.S. trade letters On July 7, U.S. President Trump revealed that the United States will impose 25% blanket tariffs on imports from Japan and South Korea starting August 1. Trump, in a pair of Truth Social posts, shared screenshots of letters apparently sent to Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung dictating the new tariff rates. Both letters say t...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/08

IONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy.” The day before, the bloc’s leaders appeared to take aim at Trump’s sweeping tariff policies in a joint statement warning against “unjustified unilateral protectionist measures, including the indiscriminate increase of reciprocal tariffs.” Trump did not explicitly specify what constitutes “anti-American” policies in his post, but he has previously warned the group not to ...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/08

Korea seeks to maximize 'practical interests' in U.S. talks, trade minister says On July 5, Korea's Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo stressed Seoul's focus on maximizing "practical interests" in ongoing trade talks with the U.S., as he arrived in Washington with just days left before U.S. President Donald Trump's pause on steep tariffs expires. Speaking to the press, Yeo noted that "all possibilities" appear to remain open, saying that the pause on "re...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/08