GM, Ford, Tesla And Other Auto Stocks Slide In Thursday Pre-Market: What's Going On?

The stocks of automakers, General Motors Co. GM, Ford Inc. F, Stellantis NV STLA and Tesla Inc. TSLA declined 5.79%, 3.69%, 2.58%, and 1.59%, respectively during the pre-market trading session on Thursday.

What Happened: On Wednesday, a 25% tariff was imposed by President Donald Trump on foreign-made automobiles, citing that automotive imports still pose a threat to the country’s industrial base and national security.

Following the announcement, the Nasdaq 100 fell into the correction zone once again, dropping 10.38% from its 52-week high. The S&P 500 index was down 7.08% from its record levels, while the Dow Jones was 5.81% lower from its 52-week high. Auto stocks were the most impacted and the sell-off continues in today’s pre-market trading.

During a press conference, Trump, when questioned about the market decline following a three-day rise, emphasized that his focus was on job creation, not the stock market. “That can take care of itself in one day, two days, or one week,” he stated. “That can take care of itself in one day, two days, or one week,” he stated.

The Trump administration contends that automakers have surplus capacity for domestic production and were aware of possible tariffs.

Why It Matters: According to the Associated Press, the tariffs, expected to generate $100 billion per year, will take effect on April 3. Trump maintains that tariffs will be instrumental in bringing back auto manufacturing into the U.S. However, experts opine that it will take years to witness this positive impact, as it takes more than 3 years to set up an auto plant and shift production.

The latest auto tariffs have rattled the auto sector. CNBC’s auto sector expert Phil LeBeau stated that more than 7 million vehicles could be impacted by these tariffs and it could drive the auto sector into recession. Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk accepted that this tariff will have a significant impact on Tesla despite domestic manufacturing, because some parts are still imported from other countries, particularly China.

Weighing in on the possibilities of car price hikes, Wedbush analysts told Reuters, “In our view these initial tariffs (if they hold in their current form) would be a hurricane-like headwind to foreign (and many U.S.) automakers and ultimately push the average price of cars up $5,000 to $10,000.”