SALT LAKE CITY — While some people believe they'll be paying a high price after President Trump's new reciprocal tariffs were implemented Wednesday, others say they think it will help business in the long run.
One Utah business has seen the impact of this tariff in a different way, especially the 25% tariff on foreign-made automobiles imported into the U.S.
“We’re seeing an increase in people putting dollars into their cars when a couple years ago, they would just go buy a new one,” said Back Shop Auto co-owner Alex Caro.
Caro shared how his shop is typically busy with a lot of long-time customers, but recently, they’ve noticed more people coming in to fix their old cars instead of replacing them at a dealership altogether.
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So, he said they’re prepared to handle the extra workload.
Andrea Nelson has been a customer for years and won’t be buying a new car, in part because of tariffs making them more expensive.
“I haven’t bought a car since 2005 because these new cars cost too much,” Nelson said. “These tariffs affect a lot. Cars, food, everything.”
Barbara VanRoosen also has had her car for more than 20 years and said she won’t be getting a new one either.
Nelson and VanRoosen sat in the auto shop's waiting room together but had differing opinions on the new tariffs.
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“[Trump's] putting tariffs on, so we’ll get manufacturing back into our country,” VanRoosen said. “I hope the hurt gets over fast, but we’re going to be hurt for a while.”
While Caro said the change is ultimately good for business, the cost of car parts is another thing to consider.
“We buy them from distributors around town, and I’m pretty sure most of those come from overseas, so I’ve already received an email that batteries were going to go up … 5% increase.” Caro said.
Over the years, Caro and his team have dealt with transmission issues, clogged filters, and sensor malfunctions, so he believes taking on this change shouldn’t be too much of a challenge.
