The tariff tiff between the U.S. and Canada has devolved into a case of “tariff us, we’ll tariff you more,” and the auto industry in both nations is stuck in the middle of the long-running spat that’s already cost jobs and sales.

After trade talks between the two countries broke down last weekend, President Donald Trump took the tariff gambit up a big notch, declaring he’ll double the levies on Canadian-made vehicles, parts and steel by 50% on Jan. 1, 2027.

Is that a genuine threat, a savvy negotiating ploy or just bluster?

The head of a large midwest dealership group that sells a great number of Canadian-built vehicles through its various brands believes it’s the latter, but he’s not taking what may turn out to be a real threat lightly.

“That's not going to happen, but it's definitely going to cause fear, you know, which is unfortunate because it's going to affect our business and probably not in a great way,” said Ryan Rohrman, CEO of the 20-dealership Rohrman Automotive Group, in an interview. “To me, it seems like it's an empty threat to get........

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