Washington — Democratic members of Michigan’s congressional delegation expressed mixed reactions to President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on foreign autos as Republicans mostly stayed quiet on the matter.
Among Democrats, the reaction has ranged from cautious optimism to strong opposition as members seek to balance support for organized labor with potential damage to the state economy.
Trump’s Wednesday announcement “appears to be a step toward on-shoring supply chains and bringing manufacturing back to our country,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a longtime voice for the auto industry in Washington, said in a statement.
U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, the No. 4 House Republican, praised the move. “President Trump is leading a manufacturing resurgence. Today’s announcement will help boost American and Michigan-made automobiles. @POTUS is keeping his promise to bring jobs and investment back to America!” she said in a social media post.
The Bruce Township lawmaker was the only Michigan Republican in Congress to offer an initial reaction to the tariffs, which are taxes paid by importers when bringing goods into the United States. None of the other six Republican members of the delegation posted public statements or immediately responded to requests for comment.
The Republican president’s tariffs on finished vehicles and auto parts, say industry leaders, analysts and economists, could upend the global automotive supply chain and create major ripple effects through Michigan’s auto-heavy economy. The auto industry accounts for more than 390,000 jobs in Michigan, or 7% of the statewide total, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the industry’s top lobbying group.
Trump won the Great Lakes State in the 2024 presidential election by about 2 percentage points, 50%-48%, over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
Mixed response from Democrats, allies
Dingell of Ann Arbor added a caveat to her public support for the tariffs: “We need to remember we must allow the auto companies and suppliers the time they need to adjust — production changes can’t take place overnight. Our domestic auto industry relies on a closely integrated North American supply chain, which is why it’s important this includes exceptions for USMCA-compliant imports. However, it is time to renegotiate USMCA.”
The tariff proclamation Trump signed Wednesday includes limited exemptions for automotive goods that comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free agreement he signed during his first term. Import taxes will not apply to the U.S. content of goods coming from America’s northern and southern neighbors, but all other components will face the 25% fee.
“Stronger protection for American-made cars and trucks is long overdue,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham said in a statement. “I welcome that, but we need to fully understand the details.”
Several key aspects of the tariffs remain ambiguous. For example, Trump’s proclamation of the tariffs suggests that they will go into effect for finished vehicles on April 3 at 12:01 a.m. But for auto parts, the duties could take effect any time between then and May 3.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar said he stands in “strong opposition” to the tariffs. “While I support efforts to strengthen the manufacturing industry and the jobs they create, this is not the way to accomplish that,” the Detroit lawmaker said in a statement.
“Economists have agreed that these tariffs are unrealistic, inflationary, and will cause serious harm to the auto industry, a cornerstone of our state’s economy. If implemented, they will raise the average price of both foreign and domestic cars by $5,000 to $10,000, meaning higher monthly payments and higher insurance costs for every American,” he added. “The Trump administration is leaving Michigan families behind: we can’t afford these tariffs.”
The United Auto Workers union, which tends to support Democratic politicians in Michigan, praised the tariffs.
“We applaud the Trump administration for stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades. Ending the race to the bottom in the auto industry starts with fixing our broken trade deals, and the Trump administration has made history with today’s actions,” said UAW President Shawn Fain.
Fain has often bashed Trump and vigorously supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
The union leader added: “The UAW has been clear: we will work with any politician, regardless of party, who is willing to reverse decades of working-class people going backwards in the most profitable times in our nation’s history. These tariffs are a major step in the right direction for autoworkers and blue-collar communities across the country, and it is now on the automakers, from the Big Three to Volkswagen and beyond, to bring back good union jobs to the U.S.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, has not commented on the tariff announcement. A spokesperson for the governor referred back to her Feb. 1 statement about potential Trump tariffs.
“Michiganders are already struggling with high costs — the last thing they need is for those costs to increase even more,” Whitmer said at the time. “A 25 percent tariff will hurt American auto workers and consumers, raise prices on cars, groceries, and energy for working families and put countless jobs at risk. Trump’s middle-class tax hike will cripple our economy and hit working-class, blue-collar families especially hard.”
She added: “Because companies pass tariff costs on to the consumers, Trump’s middle-class tax hike will mean Michigan families pay more to heat their homes as they face below freezing temperatures, fill their gas tanks, and get affordable housing at a time when inflation is already high. It will harm our auto industry, driving up the cost of cars and slowing production lines.”
Democratic state Rep. Ranjeev Puri, of Canton Township, was outspoken against the tariffs in a Thursday phone interview.
“I’m deeply worried about the impact that’s going to have on the automotive industry, which is obviously central to Michigan’s economy,” said Puri, a co-chair of the Michigan Legislative Automotive Caucus. “I think the tariffs shouldn’t be treated like a bargaining chip and a negotiating tactic. Tariffs have real world impact on the economy and business, as we’ve seen as stock markets have reacted very aversely to the talk of tariffs and starting a global trade war.”
He continued: “Our supply chains have been globalized, and our auto industry is dependent on having fair trade with allies, and so the implementation of these tariffs, I think, would be devastating and debilitating to the auto industry here.”
None of the three other co-chairs of the caucus, including two Republicans, immediately responded to a request for comment.
Out-of-state reaction
Republican Ohio U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, a newcomer to Washington who amassed a personal fortune running and selling car dealerships, cheered the tariffs in a social media post.
“This isn’t complicated — any car sold in America needs to be MADE in America. We are going to see an American auto-manufacturing renaissance and President Trump is leading the way!” he wrote.
One of his Ohio colleagues, Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, responded to the tariff announcement by neither supporting nor opposing the move, instead calling for additional action.
“We must do more to address the US manufacturing and technology job washout in the automotive and transportation industries. This will require a lot more than a 25% tariff on automotive imports,” she said in a statement. “We must reinvest in American manufacturing and the working-class communities across our country that have been hollowed out due to broken trade deals and the burden of outsourcing.”
Kaptur, a strong supporter of the UAW, urged “all involved to ensure that the United Auto Workers be given a seat and a say at the table, and are front and center of any strategy being implemented to champion American automobile production. We cannot forget those who have fought to keep our industrial regions alive, well, and competitive — such as at Toledo Jeep, General Motors, and the Ford Motor Company.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Roger Williams of Texas, who owns a car dealership in the city of Weatherford, said in a social media post and in a radio interview with WBAP that he is “not fearful of tariffs in the auto industry.
“@POTUS is using tariffs as a tool to boost domestic production, create jobs, and encourage consumers to buy American made vehicles,” he wrote. “Trump’s EO is a win for the American consumer.”
gschwab@detroitnews.com
@GrantSchwab
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