How Trump's auto tariffs could impact San Antonio
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Local communities like San Antonio are starting to feel the economic fallout from President Trump's trade policy.
Why it matters: San Antonio is home to manufacturing that ranges from automotive to aerospace — key industries and employers that stand to be impacted by tariffs.
The latest: 25% tariffs on autos and auto parts that are not produced in the U.S. take effect Thursday midnight ET.
- Mayor Ron Nirenberg on Friday joined nearly two dozen local officials from U.S., Mexican and Canadian cities in Washington, D.C., for a trade summit to discuss "the devastating effects tariffs pose for families."
What they're saying: "We are already hearing anecdotes from businesses being impacted by the uncertainty related to supply chains," Nirenberg tells Axios.
- "We're an international city with local businesses that are essentially borderless," he says, but now there is "a lot of confusion about what the North American trade corridor actually is at this point."
Zoom in: Trump claims tariffs will revive a U.S. manufacturing sector that has seen employment plunge over the last four decades. Nirenberg says the levies will destroy a local boom underway.
- In the San Antonio area, manufacturing employment most recently peaked in October after a pandemic surge.
- The North American Free Trade Agreement was first signed in San Antonio in 1992. The city has a trade surplus with Mexico, the destination for more than half of our exports in 2024.
The intrigue: The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says San Antonio is the top U.S. metro most export-dependent on Canada overall, with nearly half of our exports headed north of the border.
- Exports to Canada make up about 3.4% of the San Antonio metro area's GDP, per the chamber's ranking, released last week.
What we're watching: Whether this week is the beginning of the end of the trade uncertainty, or just the end of the beginning.