Could new tariffs affect auto industry?

SALISBURY, Md. – Could new tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts mean an increase in price for these goods?

“Remember there are no tariffs. All you have to do is do your work right here,” said President Trump on Friday. “If you have your company here, if you build your product, make your product, make your car or whatever it is you’re making, no tariffs.”

“It’s going to impact us in a lot of different ways,” said Todd Sos, Owner of SOS Auto Service in Salisbury. “As far as the tariffs on new vehicles and stuff, obviously people are going to try and fix their old stuff which is good for us.”

On the other hand, Sos said the cost of parts could go up, which would be a problem for business.

“The downside of that is the parts themselves and I don’t think a lot of people understand that most items are manufactured overseas and brought in,” he said.

However, Sos said you might not see the cost of parts impacted right away.

“It may not be immediate because you got to figure the stock and the backlog that they have for parts, but as the demand goes, it definitely will make a difference,” he said.

The new 25% tariffs on auto imports are expected to raise the average cost of a car imported from another country by thousands of dollars.

“But I can also say speaking honestly that I currently own, I bought an RT Durango a few years ago and the same vehicle when I resourced it before that there was a $20,000 difference in just a matter of three years, so which you can imagine that’s going to be amplified now because it’s going to be an immediate price change,” said Sos.

Right now, Sos is taking a wait and see approach when it comes to these new tariffs.

“I don’t think people realize how much this is going to impact everything all the way around but, you know what, if it wasn’t this then it probably be something else so, with that being said, we just got to be consciences of what we do and how we can save money in anyway we can,” he said.

The new taxes are set to begin on April 3 and are expected to expand in the following weeks.