U.S. auto dealers expecting price increases
Hello from Detroit, where I am reporting live on CBC News Network. We visited an auto dealer in Dearborn, Mich., yesterday to get his take on the tariffs and whether they will impact his business.
There have been varying estimates of how much more expensive cars will get on this side of the border, but prices are expected to shoot up by thousands of dollars.
Jim Seavitt, who has been selling Ford cars for decades, doesn’t support Trump’s tariff policy.
“I don’t believe it’s a long-term solution, even though I think our president does,” said Seavitt, president of Village Ford. He expects a negative impact on his business — eventually. The 600 cars he’s got in his inventory now aren’t subject to the tariffs. He said he did see higher customer traffic last week, with some customers looking to buy before the prices get higher.
I asked his colleague Jim Flynn if Americans will be willing to pay more for their vehicles.
“Americans aren’t willing to take public transportation or walk to work. So I think ultimately they will be willing to pay more,” said Flynn, who added that he’s a huge fan of Canadian rock icons The Tragically Hip and plays in a band himself. His bass player is from Windsor, Ont.
I asked both Jims about the state of the Canada-U.S. relationship right now.
“I guess it feels a little like a marriage that they’re separated. I hope they’re not divorced,” said Seavitt, whose wife grew up in Canada.
