SPOKANE, Wash. — If you are in the market for a new car, now may be the best time to buy.
Most economists say Americans are in for sticker shock if President Trump follows through on newly announced auto tariffs.
These tariffs include 25% duties on imported assembled vehicles starting April 3 followed by tariffs on parts beginning in May.
Analysts say the plan could make it too expensive to sell some cheaper imported cars and the cost to make one in the U.S. could rise by up to $12,000.
Since the tariffs were first announced, car sales in the Inland Northwest have gone up in anticipation.
Car dealerships are preparing for these tariffs, anticipating that the rising costs in cars and parts will be passed on to the consumer.
While these tariffs are just on imported cars and parts, dealerships say nowadays there are no cars that are solely made in America.
“The Chevrolets are made some in the United States already, which is great. Some from Canada, Mexico and South Korea are big areas that they come from. And then, many automotive parts will come from all over. They’re really kind of worldwide at this point in their supply chain,” said Lauren Traw, the co-owner of Knudtsen Chevrolet.
Not only are analysts anticipating these tariffs to raise car prices, but they will also increase the price of parts. This means if you take your car in to get an oil change, you could see the cost of that go up because of the increased cost of imported oil filters.
The tariff on imported cars goes into effect next week. Economists say the impact will be felt three to six months down the line.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
