Detroit, Michigan, USA: U.S. President Donald Trump on January 14 defended his decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles, saying the move was aimed at countering what he described as an unfair surge in auto imports, particularly from China.

Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said the tariffs were designed to protect American industries and workers, especially in the auto sector. He reiterated that the policy forces foreign automakers to rethink their strategies and invest in U.S.-based manufacturing.

Trump argued that companies from China, Japan, and other countries would still access the U.S. market but would be required to build vehicles domestically using American labor, rather than exporting cars from overseas plants.

Rejecting criticism that tariffs raise prices for U.S. consumers, Trump said the costs are borne by foreign governments and intermediaries. He added that the policy has already driven major investment, citing commitments from automakers such as Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis to expand or return production to the United States.

Concluding his remarks, Trump said tariffs are helping reverse decades of industrial decline, reduce the trade deficit, and strengthen national security, adding that manufacturers who once left the country are now returning in large numbers.