Trump Doesn't Understand Why People In Asia And Europe Don't Buy Our Trucks

There aren't a ton of things President Donald Trump totally understands. Reality TV shows? Sure. Crafting the perfect tweet? You betcha, but one area where he's sorely lacking is the automotive buying dynamics of folks in Asia and Europe. You see, Trump wants shoppers over there to buy the pickup trucks we make here. Of course, we know why they don't: American trucks are far too big for most of Europe and Asia, but that isn't stopping the President from insisting he wants people in London and Tokyo in the driver's seat of a Ram.

Trump is doing what he can to get more of our big and beautiful cars on these tiny roads. It's not going to work, but hey, it's worth a shot, I guess. Recent trade deals between the U.S. with Japan and Europe have carve-outs that either drop or reduce safety tests on American vehicle imports, according to Reuters. On top of that, Europe and Japan will lower levies on U.S.-made cars, Bloomberg reports.

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They Don't Want Our Cars

I really don't think safety was the issue here. It's not like our trucks are that safe to begin with.

If Trump thinks these are the only hurdles American vehicles need to clear to be a hit in Europe, I fear he is deeply mistaken. Here's what one dealer told Reuters about attitudes toward American cars in Japan:

"American cars are designed for wide roads and freeway driving, so handling them on narrow Japanese streets can be tricky. It takes a bit of technique," said Yumihito Yasue, president of Johnan Jeep Petit in Tokyo, which imports and services vintage cars from the United States. His customers tend to be enthusiasts in their 50s and 60s who grew up seeing American cars on TV and in movies.

The market for American cars in Japan is minuscule. About 3.7 million new vehicles were sold on the island nation in 2024. Overall, foreign cars accounted for just 6% of new cars. Of those, just 570 were Chevys, 450 were Cadillacs and 120 were Dodges. Hell, Ford pulled out of the market altogether nearly 10 years ago. The demand just isn't there, and I'm fairly certain it never will be.

Things aren't much better in Europe, as Reuters explains:

In Europe, smaller locally-made U.S. cars have done well: models like the best-selling Ford Puma and the older Fiesta. But over the past two decades, Ford and General Motors have pivoted towards larger pickups and SUVs, vehicles less suited to Europe's narrow streets and compact-car culture.

Ford, a big player in Europe from the early 1900s, has seen sales in the region fall sharply, from 1.26 million vehicles in 2005 to just 426,000 in 2024, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). Its market share dropped from 8.3% to 3.3%.

[...]

GM exited Europe in 2017, selling Opel after pulling back Chevrolet, but returned with its Cadillac Lyriq last year. It sold a mere 1,514 of the U.S.-made SUV, according to auto data firm Jato.

They'll Get Them Anyway

Despite all of this, Trump says Japan is going to accept imports of the F-150. During a call with CNBC, he said, "They're taking the very beautiful Ford F-150," adding that he's sure it'll do "very well there." Brother, I'm just not sure that is the case.

Right now, Japan has a 27.5% tariff on U.S.-made cars, and that's expected to be cut to 15% with this new deal, according to Bloomberg. While that's certainly better, it's still quite a sizable tax to pay, and it's only going to lessen the appeal of a vehicle that was never meant to be there in the first place.

I mean, guy, it's just not going to fit. There's no two ways about it. Bloomberg describes the F-150 — without mirrors — as "more than two meters wide." In Japan, many roads are less than four meters wide for two car lanes. That's why so many folks over there buy kei cars. They just fit better.

I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't say for certain how this will work out. But, if I were a betting man, the smart money says our larger vehicles are going to be flops in Europe and Japan for the sheer fact that they cannot get down a road without causing some sort of nightmare driving scenario. Sure, they make sense here, but what's good for me is not always good for thee.

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