Trump Trade Policy: Ford F-150, the best-selling truck in the United States, when Donald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs drove prices and cut profits

President Trump’s resumption of tariffs on steel and aluminum has the potential to raise the cost of best-selling American cars (Ford F-150 pickup trucks) as automakers scramble to absorb price increases. Tax 25% of foreign steel and aluminum, effective immediately, with the goal of materials that are crucial to automobile production.

Will domestic supply chains become tight?

Aluminum is used extensively in modern cars to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency, which is a special challenge. Ford’s F-150 and super duty trucks rely on aluminum for doors, hoods and truck lathes, but most high-quality aluminum sheets are starting to be imported, making home supply chains tight.
Analysts warn that tariffs could increase the cost per vehicle by about $400, putting pressure on automakers to pass on the fees to consumers. Ford stores aluminum before tariffs, but faces long-term obstacles. Supplier, while its US rolling plant process aluminum, still relies on Canadian smelters to obtain raw materials. A Ford spokesman acknowledged that it could take years to rearrange the supply chain to purchase more U.S.-made aluminum, and noted that the shift in increasing costs would be difficult to ensure.
The F-150 is the most-selling vehicle in the United States and the profit leader for Ford, highlighting the industry’s vulnerability. Ford transferred its trucks to an aluminum mechanism to meet efficiency standards a move now complicated by shrinking domestic production. As car prices have risen, tariffs may further inflate costs, squeezing buyers and automakers. As trade policies reshape manufacturing, the ripple effect may outperform pickup trucks, thus testing the resilience of the entire automotive industry.