New U.S. tariffs on automobiles and auto parts may lead to a reduction in consumer purchasing power and spending across the economy.
The tariffs' impact is expected to be longer lasting than the supply chain shocks experienced during the pandemic.
The tariffs could raise the cost of vehicles by up to $10,000 or $20,000, impacting consumer real purchasing power and lowering economic output by 0.2 percentage points.
Efforts to increase domestic manufacturing in the automotive sector would undo the international integration of the industry and may lead to domestically produced cars and parts being priced higher.