US President Donald Trump on Friday (Feb 14) announced that he planned to unveil tariffs for imported cars “around April 2”. This adds to a number of levies he has already introduced since his inauguration less than one month earlier on Jan 20, 2025.

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Trump said that the tariffs were originally planned for April 1, but he delayed them - at a huge cost - to April 2, because he was superstitious.

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Netizens were quick to troll the Republican president for avoiding April 1, which happens to be April Fools Day.

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What did Trump say?

Donald Trump, according to CBS journalist Jennifer Jacobs' post on social media platform X said: “I would have done them on April 1. Believe it or not, I'm a little superstitious”.

“No literally we had it planned for April 1. I said, 'let's make it April 2.' You know how much money that costs? That costs a lot of money just that one day,” he added.

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Netizens troll Trump

Trump’s statement was met with ridicule on social media as netizens trolled him for avoiding April 1.

On X, one user ‘FekuBuster’ suggested that Trump “didn't want to insult his voters on All Fools Day”.

Another user, ‘SamTClemens’ made a wisecrack that April 1 was “a sacred day for his people.”

“He would have launched them on April 1st except that's a sacred day for his people,” joked the X user.

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Trump’s auto tariffs

Donald Trump, as per AFP, has referred to tariffs as a way to raise revenue, remedy trade imbalances and pressure countries to act on US concerns. 

On Friday, he announced the auto tariff, which some reports suggest can go up to 25 per cent. Trump in his statement did not specify whether the tariffs would apply to all auto imports. 

As per AFP, about 50 per cent of the cars sold in the US are manufactured within the country’s borders, rest are imported from Mexico, Canada and major auto producing countries like Japan, South Korea, Germany, Britain, Italy and Sweden. 

(With inputs from agencies)