UAW Wins 25% Tariff on Imported Heavy Trucks, Boosting US Jobs

Trump Administration Imposes Tariffs on Heavy Truck Imports

The Trump administration has unveiled a 25 percent tariff on imported heavy trucks in a significant development for United Auto Workers (UAW) members employed at heavy truck manufacturers such as Mack, Daimler, Navistar, and Volvo. This decision follows an extensive grassroots lobbying initiative by UAW members and their leadership.

UAW President Shawn Fain remarked, “For decades, heavy truck makers have rushed to kill good blue-collar jobs from Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Gastonia, North Carolina, in order to pay poverty wages abroad while Wall Street makes a killing. That ends November 1st.” He highlighted the efforts of UAW members who advocated for change in Washington, DC, and expressed appreciation towards President Trump for supporting heavy truck workers. “Let’s keep going and rewrite our broken trade rules,” he added.

A recently released video, Made In The Valley, documents the experiences of UAW Local 677 in the Lehigh Valley. It explores the detrimental impact of the USMCA on communities central to the American heavy truck industry and the determined efforts of workers to preserve their livelihoods.

Dave Durgin, President of the UAW Bus, Engine, and Truck Council, stated, “Mack, Daimler, Navistar, Volvo — we built these companies. These executives have tried to run away from us and our families just to pay somebody $3-4 an hour to build six-figure trucks, and pocket the profits.” He further expressed satisfaction with the recent measures to bolster domestic manufacturing and uphold unionized labor: “We’re saying if you want to sell your trucks in the U.S., you need to make your trucks in the U.S., at a good union wage like we’ve won at the UAW.”

This development represents another challenge to the prevailing “free trade” practices that have adversely affected blue-collar workers across America, following agreements like NAFTA and the USMCA. With the USMCA scheduled for review in 2026, the UAW is advocating for trade agreements that prioritize the interests of the working class.