The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump may be laying the groundwork for imposing tariffs on imported heavy-duty trucks as it orders the U.S. Department of Commerce to investigate what effects these imports are having on America.
The Commerce Department is to check whether foreign companies have acted to “weaponize their control over supplies of trucks and truck parts” under the latest directive from the office of President Trump.
The investigation will also examine whether “predatory trade practices” are being used in the market for medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks, plus their components. The move comes at the same time Trump appears to be mulling tariff relief on steel and aluminum inputs used by domestic U.S. automakers.
While the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration up to this point – including 25-percent duties on most vehicular imports – have aimed squarely and exclusively at “light vehicles,” which include passenger vehicles and some commercial transport such as cargo vans – the new investigation could change that. Medium- and heavy-duty trucks may soon get a “sectoral tariff” applied to them, too, presumably of about the same level.
Furthermore, the heavy truck tariffs would likely be Section 232 tariffs, which are long-lasting and could potentially extend through multiple future presidencies. This differs from the emergency tariffs that Trump is imposing as “reciprocal,” which are temporary and potentially easier to challenge.
GM offers a line of Chevy Low Cab Forward or LCF trucks that are effectively rebadged Isuzu trucks that are produced at a facility in Charlotte, Michigan. These medium-duty trucks were already showing positive growth in sales during spring 2024. GM also sells the Chevy Silverado MD (4500 HD, 5500 HD and 6500 HD) that’s built by Navistar in Springfield, Ohio.
Finally, some Chevy BrightDrop commercial EV cargo vans are rated with a GVWR of 11,000 pounds, while others are rated at 9,900 pounds. These BrightDrop 400 and 600 vans are built in Ontario and would likely be subject to tariffs, unlike the domestically-produced Chevy Silverado MD and the Low Cab Forward medium-duty truck.
The investigation would typically take around 270 days, but the Trump administration has the option to accelerate it. It opened on April 22nd and the Commerce Department is soliciting public commentary on heavy-duty truck imports through mid-May 2025.
Comments
is this real chevrolet or Isuzu Trucks ?
In the job that I had before I retired I was in charge of purchasing our local area delivery van and truck. Our company needed the truck to drive all of one mile a day. Yes, our truck battery needed to be jump started after only two years of ownership.
Anyway the 2020 truck that I ordered was exactly the same as in the above article photo, the white truck with the mounted refrigeration unit. The truck was actually nicely designed and practical. It had a four cylinder diesel. If I remember correctly it cost around $80k as delivered. I would hate to have to pay for it if it had tariffs added.
Why has the Orange man become so anti-business?