Would repealing IRA kill US truck and bus manufacturing?

US President Donald Trump claims that his tariff-focused international trade policies are designed to protect domestic jobs and manufacturers. So far, several prominent automotive industry voices have spoken out against these plans, countering that Trump’s brand of ‘America first’ is actually more likely to increase prices, make OEMs less globally competitive, and sever new employment opportunities.

The new administration’s efforts to repeal Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) could be similarly detrimental. Federal funding for clean energy projects—including factories for electric vehicle batteries—has been frozen, despite 80% of private investment spurred by the bill benefitting Republican districts, according to Atlas Public Policy. This leaves vehicle segments that have been pushing hard to decarbonise over the last three years particularly vulnerable.