“I Couldn’t Care Less If They Raise Prices”: Trump Denies Asking Automakers Not To Raise Prices Over Tariffs

President Donald Trump was bold and without excuse to defend his pricing strategy in a Saturday telephone interview with Kristen Welker from NBC News, putting aside concerns about the rise in cars prices and supervising them as a hairpin in his mission to relaunch American manufacturing.

Far from putting pressure on car manufacturers to protect consumers from the repercussions of its 25% newly imposed tariffs on vehicles and imported parts, Trump adopted the higher cost prospect with relish – a position that sparked a fierce debate and threw a shadow of uncertainty on the American economy.

Questioned by Welker if he had urged the CEOs of the automotive industry to hold the price line after the prices take effect, Trump was unequivocal in his denial.

“No, I never said that,” he told him. “I don’t care if they increased prices because people will start buying American cars.” He doubled a few moments later, adding: “I don’t care. I hope they will increase their prices, because if they do, people will buy American manufacturing cars. We have a lot. ”

The remarks strongly contradict a report by Wall Street Journal from Thursday, which allegedly alleged that Trump had a call with CEOs earlier this month, threatening even higher prices if they dared to pass the costs of his taxes on consumers’ import. On Saturday, he resumed these statements, leading the story to his broader vision.

This vision, said Trump, is based on a blunt message to the automotive industry: bringing production home or dealing with the consequences.

“The message is:” Congratulations, if you do your car in the United States, you will earn a lot of money. If you don’t do it, you’ll likely have to come to the United States, because if you are doing your car in the United States, there is no price, “he told Welker.

The prices, which should strike Thursday, dismantling decades of free trade harmony in North America, where the United States, Canada and Mexico have long operated as a transparent economic block. Foreign and national car manufacturers assemble many vehicles and rooms in the United States, but they also count strongly on factories in Mexico and Canada – a dynamic Trump aims to upset.

However, the road to this objective is heavy with obstacles. The movement of production to the United States requires billions of investments – new factories, restilized supply chains and a freshly formed workforce – while Trump’s erratic tariff history leave CEOs that lend themselves to long -term commitments. Seeking to dispel these doubts, Trump insisted that his larger reciprocal price plan, corresponding to foreign import taxes, is there to stay.

“Absolutely, they are permanent, of course,” he said, standing against what he called a world “40-year scam” in the United States. “The world has been getting the United States for 40 years and more.”

However, the accomplished dealmaker has given way to flexibility, adding: “I would negotiate the prices if people are ready to give us something of great value. Because countries have great value. Otherwise, there is no room for negotiations. “

Economic issues are amazing. Analysts of the automotive industry predict that prices inflate production costs at all levels, which concerns thousands of dollars at each vehicle sold in the United States – imported or built at the national level. The impacts should be immense: car manufacturers can accelerate production because they assess the power of prices, while higher prices are likely to alienate buyers sensitive to costs, narrowing demand. An imbalance in supply and demand could generate even higher vehicle prices, pressing American consumers already struggling with inflation. Beyond the cars, Trump’s reciprocal prices were set up on Wednesday – threatened to increase costs on a multitude of imported goods, potentially feed larger price increases and attach inflationary pressures.

The fallout may not stop at the American borders. On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney fired a salvo, warning Trump that Canada would retaliate with his own prices if the United States follows – a movement that could be transformed in a murderous trade war across North America. Trump, imperturbable, refused to clig eyes.

“They come into force on Wednesday,” he said about his samples, although he has piled up the possibility of an agreement-after the price bite. The axle stresses the high -level act that Trump plays: a bet that economic pain will now produce a manufacturing renaissance later.

For the American economy, prices pose a dilemma. Many believe that prices could trigger a wave of factory opening and employment growth, strengthening American workers and reducing dependence on foreign supply chains – a cornerstone of Trump’s “America First” ethics. However, others, including industry analysts, warn against a darker scenario: disturbed trade flows, higher costs for businesses and consumers, and potential trail on GDP if reprisal measures increase.

The car manufacturers, captured in the reticle, are faced with a scary choice – absorbs the prices and the profits of bleeding, or increase prices and risk losing market share.