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The Automotive Leaders PodcastThe Leadership Podcast for the Automotive Industry Author: Jan Griffiths
Prepare yourself, your team, and your business for the future of automotive. We are all evolving the products we make, have you thought about the leadership model to get us there? In-depth interviews with leaders, authors, and thought leaders, provide the insights you need. This podcast is brought to you by Gravitas Detroit. Language: en Genres: Automotive, Business, Leisure, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Liberation Day: The Day the US Tariff Bomb Hit the Auto Industry
Episode 151
Wednesday, 2 April, 2025
This episode is sponsored by Lockton, click here to learn more Watch the full video on YouTube - click hereIt was 6 PM on April 2nd in Detroit, and the news just dropped—a sweeping new tariff announcement from Trump had thrown the automotive industry into chaos. In this episode, Jan Griffiths sits down with Sig Huber, Chief Commercial Officer at Elm Analytics, to understand what this moment means.Sig, no stranger to disruption — from 9/11 to the Chrysler bankruptcy — doesn’t mince words: this isn’t a storm that will pass. This is a structural shift. One that reshapes global supply chains, tests the financial resilience of suppliers, and threatens the already fragile foundation of North American manufacturing. He calls it Liberation Day — a moment that might free the US from offshore dependencies but at a massive cost.Together, they unpack how this announcement differs from past crises. This time, there’s no clear playbook. Unlike a chip shortage or a single-supplier failure, this change has tentacles across the globe — from engineering talent and manufacturing capacity to logistics infrastructure and even small businesses.They talked about stacked tariffs and how they could make it nearly impossible for small—to mid-sized suppliers to survive. With supplier margins already in the red, the clock is ticking. Letters are flying from Tier 1s to OEMs. Some suppliers are refusing to ship without cost coverage. And production schedules are about to get very bumpy.It’s a high-stakes moment for OEMs, too. While the UAW backs the move and underutilized plants offer some capacity, the timeline to bring new plants online spans 4–5 years. Trump might promise reshoring, but the reality is more complicated.So, where do we go from here? Jan and Sig spotlight the one path forward: collaboration, trust, and transparency. Leaders must act now to understand their extended supply chains — not just their direct suppliers — and make the financial health of every tier a strategic priority.This is the wake-up call. This is the moment when leadership—real leadership—will determine who survives and who doesn’t.Themes discussed in this episode:The sudden impact of new U.S. tariffs on the entire auto supply chainWhy this moment marks a structural shift—not just another industry crisisThe risk of widespread production disruption if suppliers stop shipping partsWhy trade policy decisions today could weaken the US auto industry tomorrowHow stacked tariffs make it nearly impossible for small suppliers to surviveWhy collaboration, trust, and transparency are now non-negotiableThe urgent need for OEMs and suppliers to understand their full supply chainWhy this could be a defining moment for leadership across the auto industryFeatured guest: Sig HuberWhat he does: Sig Huber is the Chief Commercial Officer at Elm Analytics, where he leverages over 25 years of experience in supplier risk management to support the automotive industry. He previously led global supplier risk efforts at both Fiat Chrysler (now Stellantis) and Toyota, guiding teams across North America, China, Italy, and Brazil. Sig played a key role during Chrysler’s bankruptcy, working closely with the Obama Automotive Task Force and the US Treasury to stabilize the supply base. He also served as a turnaround and strategy advisor at Riveron and currently sits on the board of a major Tier 1 supplier. A licensed attorney, Sig brings legal...
