In addition to stating that the new tariffs between the United States and Canada and Mexico will take effect in April, President Donald Trump also mentioned that he plans to impose a 25% tariff on goods from the European Union, which will include cars.
During his first cabinet meeting, Trump said he would announce the details of the EU tariffs “very soon,” adding, “It will be 25% and will cover cars and other products.” He also said, “The European Union was created to destroy the United States.”
The United States is the largest export market for goods from the European Union. In 2023, 19.7% of all exports from the EU went to the U.S., surpassing the UK, China, and Switzerland. Cars were the second-largest product group imported into the U.S. from the EU, valued at around €40 billion ($41 billion), after medicinal and pharmaceutical products.
Germany is the largest European exporter of goods to the U.S. In 2023, goods exported from Germany to the U.S. were valued at $157 billion, with approximately $24.3 billion of that being cars. In comparison, the U.S. exported approximately $9 billion worth of vehicles to Germany in the same year.