It would seem at first glance that cars and politics don’t mix, but 2009 has proven that, in fact, they often do.

• On Friday, September 11, President Obama announced that a 35% tariff would be applied to Chinese tire imports, potentially raising tire prices for U.S. consumers by 20 to 30 percent.
• The fallout from this rather controversial decision has many people concerned about a possible U.S. trade war with China. President Obama, however, has dismissed the notion.
• The USA Poultry & Egg Export Council places the blame firmly on the U.S., a pertinent opinion given that Chinese retribution already includes initiating tariffs against U.S. poultry exports.
• Among a variety of opinions, only the U.S. steel industry seems to fully support the decision, largely because the tariffs are seen by some to be intended to save union jobs here in the U.S.
• It was the United Steelworkers Union that filed the trade case to begin with.
• U.S. consumers are almost certain to see higher tire prices as a result of these tariffs.
• Additionally, with the potential “opportunities and challenges” extant in the Chinese auto market, it could prove exceedingly difficult in the future for U.S. automakers to compete in China if this situation devolves into an outright trade war.