OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — This week, president Donald Trump’s 25% tariff on all car imports went into effect. The price of new cars is expected to rise, but used dealers in Oshkosh are hoping for the best.
- Importing cars to the U.S will be more expensive, but the effect on consumers is still unclear.
- Used car dealers in Oshkosh are worried about trickle down prices, but they're also hopeful it could lead more buyers to shop for used cars.
Tanner Neuhaus opened Neuhaus Automotive last March. He sells used cars and offers auto repairs.
He says he’s hopeful price hikes due to tariffs will drive more customers to his door.
“If new cars are getting more and more expensive and harder to obtain, then people are going to be looking more and more for used, reliable vehicles,” he says.
Though still, Neuhaus is worried higher prices for new cars will trickle down to used cars.
“It’s been kind of difficult to know where to go or what to expect,” he says.
Two Guys & a Car Lot on Main Street in Oshkosh is also a used car dealership. Rick Christl co-opened the shop in January.
Christl says he’s already seeing the trickle down effect of the tariffs.
“Prices of used cars are going up as we talk now,” he says. “One of the vendors we purchase a lot of vehicles from, they just sent an email out Monday morning saying they raised the prices $1000 per car.”
Christl is hopeful, however, that the tariffs will encourage further U.S production of cars.
“Things are going to be a little bit higher for now, but at the end of the day, it’s all going to benefit everybody and everything is going to be a lot better,” he says.
