Washington, D.C. - Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) president Dennis Slater issued the following statement after the Trump Administration announced it was delaying the implementation of Section 232 tariffs on automobiles and auto-parts for six months.

“Today President Trump announced that his administration is delaying implementation of Section 232 tariffs on automobiles and auto-parts for six months. AEM is grateful the President acted on our concerns with the proposed additional tariffs, which we laid out in a letter last month. Tariffs are taxes on the American people and they are hurting families struggling to get by, farmers attempting to sell their crops, and businesses like equipment manufacturers trying to stay competitive in the global marketplace.

“This decision is a step in the right direction, but the President can do more to remove the burden that tariffs are placing on hard working Americans. We urge the President to make the delay on the Section 232 tariffs on automobiles and auto-parts permanent, and to lift the remaining Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum and Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports that are devastating U.S. manufacturers and farmers.”