Trump Backs Tariffs, EV Shift at Mack Trucks

President Donald Trump visited Mack Trucks’ Lehigh Valley Operations plant, linking tariffs, energy policy, and manufacturing jobs to truck production. Trump said tariffs and relaxed emissions rules would protect domestic truck manufacturing, while Mack cited $400 million in plant upgrades and recent job recalls. He urged Mack and union representatives to ease labor talks as the company pursues a 15,000-truck contract. Trump defended his tariff policies, arguing they fueled new factory construction and protected domestic truck and auto manufacturing, citing 25% tariffs on foreign automobiles and medium- and heavy-duty trucks, along with 50%-100% on foreign steel. He also moved to dismantle an ‘insane electric vehicle mandate’ and targeted emissions standards that would have ‘crushed Mack Trucks.’ Trump argued that relaxing those rules would allow OEMs to sell trucks ‘for much less money,’ preserve diesel and hybrid options alongside electric powertrains, and keep production in U.S. plants rather than shifting EV output overseas. Mack Trucks President Stephen Roy highlighted the company’s investment in the plant, including more than $400 million over the past decade and over $1 billion in a new lineup of advanced trucks. The Lehigh Valley Operations facility produces a range of models, including the Pioneer longhaul truck, the Anthem regional-haul model, the Granite construction truck, and the Keystone. The plant’s expansion has had immediate local economic effects, including the recall of more than 150 employees over the past year.