(The Center Square) – Michigan lawmakers have joined the United Auto Workers in supporting President Donald Trump’s newest tariff proposal, which would place a 25% tariff on all foreign-made passenger automobiles and certain parts.
The UAW, one of the country’s largest labor unions, said in a statement the tariffs will revive America’s auto industry by fixing “broken trade deals.”
“We applaud the Trump administration for stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “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.”
U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Michigan and chair of the House GOP, said the tariffs will boost American and Michigan-made automobiles.
“President Trump is leading a manufacturing resurgence,” McClain said on social media. “POTUS is keeping his promise to bring jobs and investment back to America!”
Trump signed an executive order for the tariffs Wednesday, with the auto tariff going into effect April 3 and the auto parts tariff on May 3.
“This will continue to spur growth like you haven’t seen before,” Trump said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has already announced he would support retaliatory tariffs, saying Trump’s actions put American jobs at risk.
“U.S. markets are already on the decline as the president causes more chaos and uncertainty,” Ford said on social media. “I fully support the federal government preparing retaliatory tariffs to show that we’ll never back down.”
Yet, the UAW argues that American jobs have already been lost because of current trade policy.
“Right now, thousands of autoworkers are laid off at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis following recent decisions by auto executives to ship jobs to Mexico,” the union said. “Across a dozen Big Three auto plants that have seen major declines, production has fallen by 2 million units per year in the past decade, while millions of vehicles sold here are made with low-wage, high-exploitation labor abroad.”
The union specifically highlighted a number of plants, including many in Michigan, that sit idle because of a shift to overseas production.
“At Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, Michigan, for example, over 1,000 autoworkers are laid off while the plant sits underutilized and $100,000 Stellantis trucks are built in Mexico for $3 an hour,” it said. “These layoffs were announced less than six months ago and could be undone. Those jobs could be brought back to Michigan immediately with well-designed auto tariffs.”
Not all of the auto industry is happy with the tariffs though. MichAuto Executive Director Glenn Stevens Jr. said he opposes the policy.
“This will impact the availability of products for consumers and will increase prices in the showrooms,” Stevens said. “This means jobs lost, increased input costs, and pressure on the balance sheets of companies large and small.”
While Michigan Democrats have been very critical of Trump’s tariff policies, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, did not oppose the auto tariffs outright, instead stating it’s important to have a “smart trade policy” that protects Michigan jobs.
“The Michigan auto industry and our best-in-class workforce are the crown jewels of the Midwest industrial economy,” she said on social media. “Stronger protection for American-made cars and trucks is long overdue.”
Elyse Apel is a reporter for The Center Square covering Colorado and Michigan. A graduate of Hillsdale College, Elyse’s writing has been published in a wide variety of national publications from the Washington Examiner to The American Spectator and The Daily Wire.
