Richland, Wash. – Car dealerships are facing uncertainty as President Trump imposes 25 percent tariffs on all cars shipped to the United States from other countries. The impact on vehicle pricing and availability remains unclear.
B.J. DeRuyter, the general manager of McCurley Honda, shared his insights on navigating these new tariffs.
“The auto industry is incredibly resilient. So, dealerships, manufacturers, they’re going to work, very hard to make sure that the customer is taking care of, that’s what we’ve seen so far with our manufacturers,” DeRuyter said. “They’re reaching out. They’re letting us know day by day what’s going on. And we intend on taking that information and making it a part of our business as we navigate through this.”
As dealers work to understand these potential impacts, another tariff targeting auto parts is set to take effect by May 3. There are concerns that these additional costs may lead to higher prices for consumers and could slow down sales.
“We expect to see a little bit of price increase on both vehicles and on parts,” DeRuyter said. “We’re not quite sure exactly what it’s going to look like, but hopefully we can navigate through that with the customer.”
DeRuyter noted that it will take time to fully understand how these tariffs will affect the auto industry.
“I think as we continue through this market change, we’ll see a little bit more clarity and what needs to be adjusted,” DeRuyter said. “We’re hoping that it doesn’t impact us and the customer too much. But it could happen.”
President Trump has acknowledged that there may be some initial challenges, but he believes the tariffs will ultimately strengthen the American job market. He said the goal is to bring manufacturing back to the United States.
