San Antonio, Arlington mayors urge state reps to oppose tariffs threatening Texas auto industry

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Arlington Mayor Jim Ross wrote a joint letter to state representatives to express their concerns over the potential impact of looming tariffs on the Texas auto industry.

On Friday, Nirenberg posted the letter on X stating that he and Ross have urged the senators to protect Texas truck manufacturing jobs, as upcoming proposed tariffs could threaten thousands of positions.

“No amount of horsepower can overcome the economic chaos of a reckless tariff strategy that threatens Texas' economic job engine that has been years in the making,” the letter stated, in part.

According to the joint letter, 3,700 Texans build Tundras and Sequoias and 5,600 people are employed with Texas-based Toyota suppliers in San Antonio.

In Arlington, 5,200 people build Yukons, Tahoes, Suburbans and Escalades with “thousands more working for Texas-based GM suppliers,” the letter said.

The mayors emphasized the urgency of the situation, adding, in part, “This is no time to take a ‘wait and see’ attitude or grant the President the benefit of the doubt when the job-killing threats of tariffs are widely known.”

Concluding their letter, the mayors called on federal leaders to ensure economic stability by opposing tariffs and defending Texans' jobs.

“At a time when Texans are seeing no relief in the price of eggs or the cost of living, we look to our federal leaders to help ensure stability in the auto manufacturing ecosystems,” the letter said.

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