President Donald Trump signaled he is considering tariff exemptions for auto parts as the White House looks to buy more time to implement his economic agenda.
“I’m looking at something to help some of the car companies,” Trump told the Washington Examiner on Monday during a bilateral meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
The night before, the president confirmed he was considering certain “short-lived” exemptions. He declined to say Monday if “short-lived” meant weeks or months, but he did signal that the car industry could enjoy broad relief from the 25% duty he imposed last month.
“They’re using parts that were made in Canada, Mexico, and other places, and they need a little bit of time because they’re going to make them here, but they need a little bit of time,” Trump said.
The president didn’t directly answer the Washington Examiner when asked about iPhones or other cellphones, but he briefly mentioned that he “helped” Apple CEO Tim Cook following an exemption for electronics announced over the weekend.
“Look, I’m a very flexible person. I don’t change my mind, but I’m flexible,” the president responded. “There’ll be maybe things coming up. I speak to Tim Cook. I helped Tim Cook recently in that whole business. I don’t want to hurt anybody.”
Trump also reiterated that the tariffs are intended to help revitalize American manufacturing and pay down the deficit following recent unease in the stock and bond markets. Trump’s interest in exemptions comes after he paused for 90 days a sweeping set of “Liberation Day” tariffs announced on April 2.
“We’re the greatest economic power in the world if we’re smart. If we’re not smart, we’re going to hurt our country more than ever,” Trump said.
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You can watch the president’s remarks in full below.
