WASHINGTON, D.C.—In response to 25 percent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, MEMA, the Vehicle Suppliers Association, has issued a statement opposing the Trump administration's tariff policy.
MEMA called the tariffs "a direct threat to American jobs and manufacturing." The association currently supports more than 930,000 jobs throughout the U.S., and claimed in its Jan. 31 statement that Trump's tariffs could heavily endanger a large percentage of those jobs.
"Such tariffs would have severe consequences for the U.S. vehicle supplier industry, jeopardizing American jobs, increasing costs for consumers, and undermining the highly integrated North American supply chain that is critical to U.S. competitiveness," MEMA said.
Forecasting spikes in manufacturing costs and reduced investment in American vehicle production, MEMA believes the tariffs could have massive ramifications across the industry. In addition to threatening jobs for thousands of Americans, MEMA believes that the increased tariffs, one of the tentpoles of Trump's 2024 campaign, could threaten healthy trade and exports between the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
"At a time when inflation remains a key concern, such tariffs would further strain household budgets and disrupt affordability in the automotive sector," MEMA said. "North American trade is already the largest U.S. export market, supporting millions of American jobs. Undermining this trade with costly tariffs would only weaken U.S. competitiveness and hinder economic stability."
In response to the tariff hike, MEMA has sent a call to action for the second Trump administration: lift the tariffs before they can damage the American economy, supply chain and national security.
"MEMA urges the administration to lift these tariffs and to prioritize policies that support American manufacturing, economic stability and competitiveness," the organization said. "We encourage policymakers to work collaboratively with industry stakeholders to strengthen North American trade relationships rather than imposing punitive measures that would ultimately weaken a key sector of the U.S. economy."