President Trump announced Thursday that the U.S. will impose a 25% tariff on heavy-duty trucks manufactured outside the United States beginning October 1. In a Truth Social post, Trump stated the tariff would "protect our Great Heavy Truck Manufacturers from unfair outside competition" and ensure companies like Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, and Mack Trucks "will be protected from the onslaught of outside interruptions."

The announcement follows a Section 232 investigation launched by the Commerce Department on April 22 examining the national security implications of medium- and heavy-duty truck imports and truck parts. As this issue of NEON went to press, no official legal text of the tariff order had yet been released.

Critical details remain unclear, especially whether the new tariff applies only to heavy-duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating over 26,000 pounds or also includes medium-duty trucks between 10,001 and 26,000 pounds, both of which were part of the Commerce Department investigation. It is also unclear whether truck parts are covered by the tariff or if any exceptions will apply.

These are Section 232 tariffs under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the same authority used for tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper, automobiles, and automobile parts. They are not related to the “Liberation Day” tariffs that utilized “emergency” authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that are currently in an ongoing legal challenge.

Official legal text on the details of the new truck tariffs is expected prior to the October 1 effective date. NEFI will provide a detailed update once specifics are available. For questions or concerns, please contact NEFI President & CEO Jim Collura at jim.collura@nefi.com.