Thousands of vehicles sit idle at EU port as Trump's tariffs leave their mark

Source: The Guardian

Tue 15 Jul 2025 03.00 EDT
Last modified on Tue 15 Jul 2025 04.11 EDT


The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has been turned into a giant car park with thousands of cars, vans, trucks and tractors bound for the US sitting idle as manufacturers try to avert the worst of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Figures released by the port show a 15.9% drop in the transport of new passenger cars and vans to the US in the first six months of 2025 compared with the same period last year, with a sharp decline emerging in May – one month after the US president announced his “liberation day” tariffs.

Exports of trucks and what they call “high and heavy equipment” is down by almost a third at 31.5%. This category includes tractors and construction vehicles, with the fall off in transatlantic movements perhaps reflecting the impact a 25% tariff would have on vehicles that can cost more than $100,000 (£74,430).

The port is one of the world’s largest car transport hubs, shipping more than 3m vehicles around the world in 2024. “The outlook for the second half of the year remains uncertain. Much will depend on whether a trade agreement between the EU and the US can be reached by 1 August,” the port said in a statement.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/15/thousands-of-vehicles-sit-idle-at-eu-port-antwerp-bruges-trumps-tariffs-leave-mark