By Janet H. Cho
The White House is weighing a one-month delay for tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for some sectors of the market, according to comments Wednesday by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
President Donald Trump is thinking about "which sections of the market that can maybe, maybe he'll consider giving them relief" until April 2, Lutnick said on Bloomberg Television. He repeated his comment from yesterday that an announcement could come this afternoon.
April 2 is the day the U.S. will unveil its threatened reciprocal tariffs on imports from countries that impose levies on American products.
Lutnick said some sectors of the market could be excluded from the 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada because they already are compliant with existing rules under the USMCA, the trade pact Trump negotiated with Mexico and Canada during his first term.
"There will be some categories left out, it could well be autos, it could be others as well," Lutnick said Wednesday. "That's part of our discussion, and the president's really thinking about that."
The White House couldn't immediately be reached for confirmation.
Representatives from Ford Motor, General Motors, and Stellantis NV met with administration officials on Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Representatives from those companies also couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Stellantis is the Netherland based automaker whose brands include Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram Trucks.
Auto makers have been seeking an exemption from the tariffs since Trump announced them last month, warning that they would increase the cost of manufacturing, auto parts, and car prices.
Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley has said the tariffs would have a "huge impact on our industry, with billions of dollars of industry profits wiped out, " along with raising car prices and hurting U.S. jobs.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
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March 05, 2025 12:52 ET (17:52 GMT)
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