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Let’s cut through the chrome. Your truck might say “Built Ford Tough” or wear a RAM badge. But if it’s rolling off an assembly line in Mexico, it’s about to get taxed like a foreign import. President Trump’s new tariff just made “domestic” a much more complicated word.

Which Detroit trucks could get hit hardest by the President Trump tariff?

President Trump’s latest move? A 25% tariff on all foreign-assembled cars, trucks, and key auto parts. It hits on April 3.

Is that like a tax you pay? Not quite. Automakers must pay that fee when they import a product. So by the time you walk into the dealership it will already be rolled into the price. “We’ll effectively be charging a 25% tariff. But if you build your car in the United States, there is no tariff,” President Trump told automakers from the Oval Office.

That’s big news for the truck market. According to Cars.com, multiple truck models from the Detroit Three are assembled outside the U.S. If their makers can’t absorb the tariffs, they might all face a price hike. These include every Ram 2500 and 3500 (all heavy-duty Rams are built in Saltillo, Mexico), the Ford Maverick (all built in Hermosillo, Mexico), and some versions of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 (Silao, Mexico). Even the Ram 1500 Classic has Mexican-built variants.

Are foreign-built cars and trucks a national security risk?

Trump’s administration is framing the move as a national security issue. According to the White House fact sheet, “President Donald J. Trump signed a proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose a 25% tariff on imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts, addressing a critical threat to U.S. national security.”

The document continues: “Foreign automobile industries, bolstered by unfair subsidies and aggressive industrial policies, have expanded, while U.S. production has stagnated.” The administration noted that only “25% of the vehicle content can be categorized as Made in America” and cited a $93.5 billion trade deficit in auto parts in 2024. The logic here is that if the U.S. forgets how to build cars, and lets its factories fall apart, it couldn’t make tanks in a pinch.

That tariff might mean a painful price hike on trucks many buyers still see as “American.” In a statement, GM once argued moving production “is not feasible,” citing the high cost and long lead times involved . Back in 2018, GM bit the bullet and absorbed the tariff for its China-built Buick Envision. But can automakers afford to keep MSRPs down if their entire lineups are subject to tariffs?

The most American-made trucks that might dodge President Trump’s tariff

Buyers looking to avoid tariff fallout might want to aim for the most American-made pickups. The 2024 Cars.com American-Made Index ranks the Honda Ridgeline (No. 6), Jeep Gladiator (No. 8), and Toyota Tundra (No. 20) as top scorers. They are all assembled in the U.S., out of mostly American parts. Even the Ford F-150, built in Michigan and Missouri, gets high marks—though some of its parts are still imported .

While it’s easy to assume U.S. automakers build all their trucks here, even industry veterans get caught off guard. As CBS News noted, “Very few, even from U.S.-based manufacturers, are made with 100% U.S. content.”

In the words of the White House: “These new tariffs aim to ensure the U.S. can sustain its domestic industrial base and meet national security needs.” But for shoppers, it could mean a lot more math at the dealership.

President Trump said he’s bringing auto jobs home. But in doing so, he might bring sticker shock to the heartland. If you want to dodge the tariff, do your homework—and check where your next truck was born. Learn more about how global Detroit automakers have become in the video below: