Donald Trump signs EV order Monday, hold off on tariffs

President Donald Trump on Monday issued an executive order ending what he has called an electric vehicle mandate but will not immediately move to impose new tariffs on imported goods as some believed he might.

An incoming White House official who briefed members of the news media on Monday morning said Trump was to sign a series of executive orders related to the economy, including those expected to cut regulations to increase energy production, open Alaska up to additional energy production and declare a national energy emergency. He was also expected to sign a memorandum ordering all of his administration to look at how best to bring down consumer prices to fight inflation.

As part of those executive orders, the White House official, who spoke on background, said Trump would end the “EV mandate.” Later Monday, Trump revoked a 2021 executive order signed by predecessor Joe Biden that sought to ensure half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 were electric, news service Reuters reported. The 50% target, which was not legally binding, won the support of U.S. and foreign automakers.

Trump also plans to direct agencies to reconsider rules mandating more stringent emissions rules that would require automakers to sell between 30% to 56% EVs by 2032 in order to comply, Reuters said.

Trump was sworn into office on Monday shortly after noon.

Last spring, the Biden administration finalized emission rules for cars and light duty trucks that, in theory, would require two-thirds of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2032 to be zero emission and electric vehicles or EVs are currently the only vehicle technology that meets that standard. Trump and other Republicans claimed it amounted to an "EV mandate," which was largely unpopular in Michigan and other states.

Despite Monday's order, however, it is unlikely that the president has the authority to reverse the emission standard immediately and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will probably have to propose new rules and go through a lengthy process to rewrite them first.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported exclusively that while Trump has argued for imposing stiff tariffs on imported goods — including those from allies including Canada and Mexico, as well as from rivals like China — he wouldn't do so on his first day in office, instead issuing a memorandum ordering his administration to review the nation's trade deficits and policies.

When asked about tariffs, the White House official referred members of the news media to the Wall Street Journal story.

The business community had been bracing for the possibility that Trump would use emergency authority to impose tariffs, which could result in a series of trade wars and force prices up, though he argued throughout his campaign that tariffs would help the U.S. economy and government. Canadian officials have especially been concerned about the prospect of tariffs, given how dependent that country is on U.S. trade and last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer specifically detailed the threat tariffs and any actions Trump might take to hurt EV sales pose to Michigan's auto industry.

During his inauguration speech, Trump said he still intends to impose tariffs on "foreign countries to enrich our citizens," saying he would create what he called an "External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs" and bringing "massive amounts of money pouring into our country from foreign sources."

Trump also signed a series of other executive orders, including those regarding security on the Southern border, on his first day in office. Those orders will include Trump's declaring a national emergency at the border and call on using the military to "repel forms of invasion" at the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump also suspended resettlement of refugees, resumed construction of a border wall, barred entry of people from "countries of concern" and signed an order attempting to end the 14th Amendment's right to automatic U.S. citizenship for children born to immigrant mothers in the country illegally or with temporary status and when the child's father is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler. 

This story has been updated with new information and new context.