The tariffs on cars and auto parts that President Trump announced on Wednesday will have far-reaching effects on automakers in the United States and abroad. But there will be important differences based on the circumstances of each company.
Tesla makes the cars it sells in the United States in factories in California and Texas. However, it does buy parts from other countries, about a quarter of the components by value in its cars come from abroad, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
General Motors imports many of its best-selling and most profitable cars and trucks, especially from Mexico, where it has several large factories that churn out models like the Chevrolet Silverado.
Ford is much less reliant on imported cars than many of its rivals, but it still depends on foreign factories for major parts like engines.
Stellantis, which was created by the 2021 merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot, has also been struggling with sluggish sales and is searching for a new chief executive. Toyota is very dependent on the United States and sold 2.3 million cars in the country last year.
Volkswagen could be really hurt by tariffs because it has just one factory in the United States, in Chattanooga, Tenn., and it imports many of its cars, including Audis and Volkswagens from Mexico and Porsches from Germany.
The company has struggled financially in recent years because its sales have fallen sharply in China, where domestic automakers have grown quickly by introducing lots of affordable electric and hybrid vehicles.
Hyundai and Kia have made impressive sales gains in the United States in recent years and have also invested in a new electric vehicle factory in Georgia, which could help them avoid tariffs on some models.
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