(The Hill) — Multinational auto manufacturer Stellantis said Friday it would begin offering employee discounts to the public in an effort to cushion the blow from President Donald Trump’s new tariffs.
The move follows in the steps of Ford Motor Company, which announced a similar bargain earlier this month. Auto tariffs went into effect on April 3, the day after Trump announced sprawling taxes on almost all U.S. trading partners.
A Stellantis spokesperson told Nexstar’s The Hill that the new program, called “America’s Freedom of Choice,” offers customers a chance to buy vehicles at “employee price or current cash incentives.”
“We will direct customers to see their local dealer to determine the best offer that works for them,” the person added.
The program will remain in effect until April 30.
Stellantis’ new measure comes after they chose to pause production at plants in Canada and Mexico following Trump’s new levies on foreign vehicle and auto part imports last month.
Antonio Filosa, chief operating officer for the Americas, said the pause would “impact some employees” at several of their U.S. powertrain and stamping facilities. The company has already opened the year at a deficit with a 12 percent year-over-year decline in U.S. sales reported in the first quarter.
The parent company of Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Chrysler brands said they would continue to make adjustments as necessary amid low sales and tense trade relations.
“We are continuing to assess the medium- and long-term effects of these tariffs on our operations,” Filosa wrote in an email obtained by The Hill.
