Purchasing executives probably won’t enjoy hearing this, but the intertwining of supply chains and geopolitics is just beginning.
Rapidly shifting trade policies and tensions between the U.S. and China are forcing automakers and suppliers to rethink where and how they source parts and materials. General Motors is reportedly pushing many of its suppliers to pull their supply chains out of China by 2027, and other automakers are urging their parts suppliers to re-source as much as possible.
The U.S. is highly dependent on China for rare earth metals, for example. And while the recent U.S.-China trade deal loosened some export restrictions, there are few long-term answers for the auto industry, which needs rare earth magnets for motors, power steering and other critical components.
But tariffs have also been a lifeline for the embattled automaker’s U.S. assembly plants, even as the company closes seven others globally. As automakers look to reduce their hefty tariff bills, their U.S. plants are increasingly seen as major assets.
“It will not make a lot of sense to stop a plant in the U.S. when you have tariffs,” Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa said in a Nov. 13 interview.
Now, all eyes in the auto industry are turned toward the Supreme Court as executives await a decision on the legality of some of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. While the case does not pertain to sectoral tariffs such as those on vehicles and parts, it still matters a great deal to the auto industry.
No matter what the justices decide, the ruling could provide at least some long-term clarity on U.S. trade policy — to say nothing about potential refunds companies could receive from the federal government if the court rules against the administration.
The auto industry has displayed remarkable resilience in a dizzying year for trade policy. But as it closes out 2025 and looks ahead to next year, it will need to stay on its toes.
— John Irwin, supplier reporter
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