Ford and Volvo Pivot Fast After Trump Slaps Auto Tariffs [WATCH]

Two major automakers announced new initiatives Thursday aimed at aligning their production and pricing strategies with President Donald Trump’s newly announced tariffs on foreign-assembled vehicles.

The moves come just one day after Trump revealed a 25% tariff on all foreign-built cars, excluding those manufactured in Mexico and Canada.

Ford Motor Company launched a new program titled “From America, For America,” which offers vehicles to U.S. customers at employee pricing. The deal is expected to cut thousands of dollars off vehicle prices for new buyers.

“We’re going to offer customers the same deal that our employees get.”

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That’s worth thousands of dollars,” Ford’s chief policy officer, Steve Croley, told Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade on Thursday.

“We’ve heard some uncertainty from our customers and we want them to be assured that Ford, the most American auto company, is going to do right by them, as are our dealers.”

“Ford … is going to do right by them”: @Ford’s new ‘From America, For America’ initiative gives U.S. customers employee pricing. pic.twitter.com/ZaMdbxZZYk

— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) April 3, 2025

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Croley added that Ford is positioned to benefit from the new policy due to its domestic production footprint.

“We make the most cars here, we employ the most, we export the most, and so we here at Ford, we’re in a good position to address customers’ concern and give them a really great deal on a great vehicle,” he said.

Swedish carmaker Volvo also responded to the tariff announcement by committing to expand its U.S. manufacturing presence. The company said it will increase production at its plant in South Carolina and consider relocating additional vehicle models for assembly in the United States.

“We will have to increase the number of cars we build in the U.S., and surely move another model to that factory,” Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson said in an interview on Thursday.

He explained that Volvo already manufactures its EX90 and Polestar 3 electric vehicles at the Charleston-area facility and is now reviewing additional production options.

The South Carolina factory, which opened in 2018, was initially intended to serve both domestic and export markets. However, after China imposed retaliatory tariffs on American-made cars, Volvo scaled back plans to ship vehicles abroad from the site.

Samuelsson, speaking at a recent shareholders meeting, noted that a key challenge for automakers will be managing costs under the new trade rules. “My job is to regain investors’ confidence,” he said.

The latest developments follow a broader trend among automakers reevaluating international manufacturing strategies. Last month, Honda reversed its decision to assemble the 2025 Civic at a plant in Guadalajara, Mexico, opting instead for production at an existing facility in Indiana.

Hyundai has also committed $20 billion to expand domestic operations, while Stellantis announced it will reopen a facility in Belvidere, Illinois, to produce midsize trucks.

Automotive unions welcomed the White House’s new tariff policy. During a press conference held in Michigan, a member of the United Auto Workers expressed strong support for the president.

“Mr. President, we can’t thank you enough. In six months to a year, we’re going to see the benefits, I can’t wait to see what’s happening 3-4 years down the road. Thank you, Mr. President,” the union member said.

President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff plan is designed to incentivize automakers to return production to the United States while preventing foreign influence in the domestic car market.

The administration has directed federal agencies to monitor compliance and assess economic impact over the coming months.

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