Trump had said last month that heavy truck imports would face new tariffs starting Oct. 1 over national security concerns.
It argued that the levies were intended to protect manufacturers from “unfair external competition” and that the measure would benefit companies such as Peterbilt and Kenworth PCAR.O, owned by Paccar, and Freightliner DTGGe.DE, owned by Daimler Truck.
Under trade deals with Japan and the European Union, the United States agreed to apply 15% tariffs on light-duty vehicles, but it is unclear whether the same rate will apply to larger vehicles.
The Trump administration has also allowed producers to deduct the value of U.S. components from tariffs paid on light-duty vehicles assembled in Canada and Mexico.
The largest include all types of vehicles, from delivery trucks, garbage trucks, utility trucks, public transport buses, school buses and tractor-trailers, as well as semi-trailers and heavy professional vehicles.
The Chamber of Commerce previously urged the Commerce Department not to impose new tariffs on trucks, noting that the top five origins of imports are Mexico, Canada, Japan, Germany and Finland, “all allies or close partners of the United States who do not pose a threat to national security.”
Mexico is the largest exporter of medium and heavy trucks to the United States. A study published in January indicated that imports of these larger vehicles from Mexico have tripled since 2019, reaching around 340,000 today, according to government statistics.
Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (USMCA), medium and heavy trucks are exempt from tariffs if at least 64% of their value comes from North America, whether for parts such as engines and axles, raw materials such as steel, or assembly labor.
