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US Tariffs Could Hurt Japan GDP
Akihiro Komuro On April 12, as I write this, things are still in flux. There is a lot of media coverage every day, with reports on the tariffs reaching almost hysterical levels. The reciprocal tariff rate for Japan announced by the U.S. is 24%, which is an unexpectedly high level given the past relationship between the two countries.
As a result, Japan’s real GDP is expected to fall by about 0.6% in the short term (2025) and 1.8% in the medium term (2029). This will have a huge impact on Japan, which has maintained a growth rate of around 3% per year. It has been reported that Japan is currently negotiating with the Trump administration, but it is doubtful whether the current Japanese government will be able to negotiate effectively with the US. We will see whether the terms will be reconsidered after the negotiations in the future.
I would just like to point out one thing: President Trump talks about Japan’s failure to buy American cars as unfair and negligent, but this is a clear mistake. It is true that American cars do not sell well in Japan. GM is the only company with a formal dealer network in Japan, and it is even hard to find GM dealer shops in Japan. Chrysler pulled out in 2018 and Ford in 2016.
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Trump Tariffs Impact NA Truck Market
Chris Fisher It appears the two main goals for implementing US trade tariffs: to bring more manufacturing jobs to United States and to negotiate more favorable trade agreements to reduce the trade deficit with the rest of the world, could negatively impact the North American medium and heavy truck market. In 2024, the United States trade deficit was $918.4 billion which was a 17% increase from 2023.
April 9, President Trump paused his reciprocal tariffs on most countries for 90 days. The tariffs for most countries would be reduced to 10% during this period. Canada and Mexico will not be impacted by the 10% tariff for goods trading under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. However, tariffs on imported Chinese goods were raised to 145% after the Chinese implemented retaliatory tariffs on goods exported into China from the United States.
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Automec 2025: Innovation and Transformation
Download PDFAutomec 2025 offered a comprehensive showcase of emerging technologies and set the tone for the industry’s future in electrification, connectivity, and advanced diagnostics.
São Paulo – (April 22 – 26, 2025) Automec 2025 reaffirmed its standing as Latin America’s premier trade fair for automotive parts, equipment, and services. Hosting more than 1,500 brands and over 90,000 visitors, the key theme of the events were sustainable mobility, digital transformation, and the professionalization of the repair chain.
Accelerated Electrification. Exhibitors at Automec 2025 focused heavily on supporting this transition with products such as High-efficiency EV charging modules, Battery cooling and heating solutions, and Modular platforms and retrofitting kits for fleet conversion.
Component Innovation. Multiple players showcased system-level improvements including Enhanced thermal management systems, Scalable battery pack architectures, and Power electronics adapted for multi-voltage applications. PSR
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Agrishow 2025. We’ll Be There.
Agrishow (April 28 – May 2, 2025) is the biggest and most important agricultural technology trade show in Brazil and one of the largest in the world. Fabio Ferraresi, Director-Business Development-South America, for Power Systems Research (PSR), and Heitor Aguiari, Agricultural Analyst, will be at the fair. More than 195,000 attendees are projected to visit the show, which will cover 520,000 square meters. You can read show reports on LinkedIn, powersys.com and in our PowerTALK newsletter.  …
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Transportation Freedom Act Affects Emissions
Chris Fisher A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate this month seeks to repeal heavy-duty emissions standards, eliminate new and existing emissions waivers granted to states, set a national standard for emissions and more.
The “Transportation Freedom Act,” as the legislation is known, was introduced by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and co-sponsored by Sens. Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Jim Banks (R-Indiana) and James Justice (R-West Virginia). It includes several provisions related to heavy-duty truck emissions standards, as well as provisions addressing light- and medium-duty vehicles.
Notably, the bill would repeal Phase 3 of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles. The Phase 3 GHG rule, finalized last year, ramps up CO2 emissions standards for trucks between model years 2027 and 2032.
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