Texans eye the impact of tariffs on their trucks

Fearing that US President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on imported cars and auto parts could spark "paranoia" among buyers and drive up prices, Arthur Bibbs has decided to go ahead and buy a second-hand truck now.

- MOISÉS ÁVILA

"I lost my truck in a storm, and I wanted to buy a vehicle as soon as possible before things get too complicated," said Mr Bibbs, a 56-year-old Texan who works for an electric company.

In this vast southern state — where the oil, agriculture, livestock and energy businesses dominate the economic landscape — people love their trucks, whether pickups or SUVs.

In Houston, the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, 80% of new vehicle purchases are for trucks, according to the Houston Automobile Dealers Association (Hada).

Nationwide, the figure is 74%, with Ford's F-Series, Toyota's RAV4 and Chevrolet's Silverado leading the category. But some of those vehicles, even those with iconic made-in-America names, are 100% "Made in USA".

Most include parts made in Canada or Mexico under terms of past North American agreements now called into question as the trade war launched by Trump.