The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), representing over 7,500 American automotive businesses, delivered a message of support to President Donald Trump’s trade agenda.
In a letter sent Monday, SEMA praised Trump’s leadership and commitment to restoring America’s industrial strength.
“We write to commend you and your administration for your commitment to restoring the greatness of American manufacturing,” wrote SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. “Your return to the White House has given significant hope to our industry.”
The automotive specialty parts aftermarket is a powerhouse of American innovation. Contributing $337 billion annually to the economy and supporting over 1.3 million jobs, the industry consists of manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of motor vehicle parts and accessories.
SEMA was one of the loudest supporters of Trump’s decision to revoke former President Joe Biden’s de facto electric vehicle (EV) mandate.
“On day one of his new administration, President Trump reclaimed the nation’s freedom of vehicle choice, proclaiming the authority of the United States of America, rather than so-called United States of California, to set national policies,” Spagnola said.
While SEMA’s letter made clear they support the president’s use of tariffs to bring jobs back to America, they warned the transition period has been challenging, especially for smaller operations that don’t have the capital reserves or volume pricing power of multinational giants.
“For many specialty automotive businesses that manufacture their products in America, they are forced to source components used in their products from international suppliers, because there are no domestic manufacturers or none that will produce components in smaller volumes that meet their needs,” Spagnola continued in the letter. “For businesses in this position, they have no choice but to source components from abroad.”
Rather than backing down, they are asking for temporary, targeted relief.
“Our primary request is that American automotive parts manufacturers, including our members, be provided a transition period to re-shore their manufacturing, as well as some form of economic relief to assist in that transition,” Spagnola indicated. “That relief could include tariff exemptions for things like molds, tooling, and machinery brought back to the U.S., as well as tax incentives to offset the associated costs.”
SEMA emphasized they believe in Trump’s vision and want to be on the front lines of making it a reality, they just “need a bridge to assist with the transition.”
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