Which Chevrolet Models May Become More Expensive Because Of Tariffs Imposed By President Trump?

President Trump's first few months in office have seen his administration push through punitive tariffs aimed at reducing America's dependence on imports, with the auto industry being particularly hard hit. Virtually every major automaker has been affected to some degree, including the American Big Three, which all import at least one model in their respective lineups. Chevrolet imports a number of its popular models from Mexico, Canada, and further afield, which makes it particularly vulnerable to the effects of tariffs.

As of this writing, the tariff situation remains a rapidly changing one, and there's a chance that a deal could be worked out to spare American automakers like GM from the worst impacts of the new rules. However, so far, no such deal has been made public, and if the tariffs remain in place, automakers will have little choice but to either swallow the cost of the tariffs or raise prices for consumers. In the case of Chevrolet, that means potential price increases across a significant part of its range.

Most of Chevrolet's imported vehicles are built in either Canada or Mexico, with GM having invested significantly to expand cross-border production. Its bestselling Silverado pickup is manufactured in both countries, with imports reportedly accounting for around half of all production. The other half is handled by GM's Fort Wayne Assembly plant in Indiana, but in the wake of the tariff announcements, GM has told employees it intends to expand Indiana production.

While the automaker has some leeway to shift around Silverado production in order to skirt tariffs, it does not have the same flexibility with other models. The Equinox and its all-electric Equinox EV sibling are both built only in Mexico, at the GM San Luis Potosí and GM Ramos Arizpe, respectively. The San Luis Potosí is also responsible for the Equinox's GMC-badged counterpart, the Terrain. It isn't just the brand's cars that are built across the border either — the BrightDrop electric van is also made at a plant in Canada, although GM announced in April that it was pausing BrightDrop production until October 2025 in the wake of low demand.

As well as importing cars from Canada and Mexico, GM also imports two of its cheapest cars from South Korea. At the time of writing, Korean imports are subject to a 25% tariff, which is suspended until July. Given the rapidly changing nature of the tariff rules, that figure might have changed again by the time the temporary suspension expires. If it doesn't change — or if tariff levels increase — Chevrolet will likely have to raise the prices of its Korean built cars, potentially by a significant amount.

GM's Korean plants currently build the Trax and Trailblazer crossovers, alongside the similarly affordable Buick Envista and Buick Encore GX. At the time of writing, the Trax and Trailblazer start from $21,895 and $24,495 respectively, making them the two lowest priced models in the brand's lineup. Even a small increase in price would make them less competitive compared to domestically-built rivals, and a 25% price increase to reflect the full impact of the tariff would seriously hurt their appeal with buyers.