Big 3 automakers get a one-month tariff exemption, White House announces

US automakers Stellantis, Ford and General Motors will receive a one-month exemption from tariffs recently imposed by the Trump administration, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Wednesday.

Those tariffs, which went into effect Monday, are part of a "reciprocal tariffs" policy aimed at matching the rates charged by US trading partners on US exports.

"We spoke with the Big Three automakers," Leavitt confirmed. "We are going to give a one-month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA [United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement]."

The move comes in response to a direct request from the three companies, who, according to Leavitt, contacted the White House to ask for a conversation with President Donald Trump. "They requested the call. They made the request and the president is happy to do it," she said.

The waiver, which delays the application of tariffs on these manufacturers until April 2, seeks to prevent companies from facing an immediate economic disadvantage while the administration continues its trade review.

Leavitt further explained that the goal is to give USMCA partner companies time to adjust to the new measures.

Reciprocal tariffs will still go into effect on April 2, but at the request of the companies associated with USMCA, the president is giving them an exemption for one month so they are not at an economic disadvantage," she said.

Trump's tariff policy, instituted through an executive order signed in mid-February, aims to match import duties with the highest rates imposed by other countries on US products.

In addition, it seeks to counter trade barriers such as strict regulations, value-added taxes, government subsidies and manipulated exchange rate policies. The Republican administration plans to complete its trade review on April 1, focusing first on countries with the largest trade surpluses with the United States and the highest tariff rates on US goods.

The White House sees the tariffs as a key tool to put pressure on economic and foreign policy negotiations, as well as to incentivize companies to return to US soil.

The one-month exemption granted to Stellantis, Ford and General Motors reflects a balance between the implementation of Trump's trade agenda and the immediate needs of US companies operating within the T-MEC framework.