Stocks from automakers to retailers feel pressure from tariff threats

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This article was published 03/02/2025 (605 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NEW YORK (AP) — Companies in a wide range of industries saw their stocks come under pressure Monday on Wall Street because of tariff threats from President Donald Trump.

Automakers, technology companies and retailers all fell as the U.S., Mexico, Canada and China wrangled over tariffs. Trump said over the weekend that 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico would go into effect Tuesday, though he has given the nations a 30-day reprieve. China still faces 10% tariffs.

Here’s a look at the sectors of the stock market most affected by a trade war:

Car trouble

The automotive sector faces a bumpy road ahead. The industry’s production processes are heavily intertwined throughout the nations impacted by tariffs.

General Motors fell 3.2% and Ford slipped 1.9%. Stellantis slipped 3.9% and Tesla fell 5.2%.

In 2024, 22% of all light vehicles sold in the U.S. were imported from Mexico, according to S&P Global Mobility. General Motors sources about 22% of its vehicles and Ford sources 15% of its vehicles from Mexico.

The tariff threat is also dragging down auto parts companies. Visteon, which has significant business relationships with Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen, fell 3.4%. Aptiv fell 2.8% and Goodyear Tire fell 1.9%.

Trouble brewing

Liquor, beer and alcoholic beverage makers came under pressure from potential tariffs. Authorities in several Canadian provinces are already retaliating by planning to remove American liquor brands from government store shelves.

Constellation Brands fell 3.5%. The company is particularly sensitive to trade issues. It owns the exclusive rights to import Corona and Modelo brand beer to the U.S. from Mexico. The brands are actually owned by Budweiser maker AB InBev, which holds rights to the beer brands outside the U.S. AB InBev shares fell 1%.

Molson Coors, which makes Molson and Coors brand beers, fell 2.5%.

Brown-Forman, which distributes Jack Daniels whiskey, fell 3.3%.

Diageo, which owns Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker and Crown Royal among other liquor brands, fell 2.5%.

Tech glitch

Tariffs have put more pressure on the Big Tech companies that have been leading the market to records. The sector was already under pressure following last week’s worries about increased competition from China’s DeepSeek artificial intelligence company.

Semiconductor giant Nvidia fell 2.8% and iPhone maker Apple slipped 3.4%. Both companies rely on China for production and sales. Nvidia gets nearly 39% of its revenue from China, while Apple gets about 16% of its revenue from China, according to FactSet.

Retail retreat

Clothing and other retailers are particularly sensitive to tariffs. The industry relies on production of goods in China, Mexico and other nations. Consumers rely on relatively low prices for many of those imported goods.

Nike’s stock fell 0.4%. It makes 22% of its finished products and gets 30% of its raw materials from China. That’s compared with just 4% of its products made in the U.S.

Best Buy, like other electronic retailers, relies on sales of products made outside of the U.S. It’s stock fell 2.4%.

Construction costs

Homebuilders face rising costs if wood and other building materials become more expensive. Canada is a big exporter of lumber to the U.S.

Lennar fell 3.8%, Toll Brothers fell 3.2%.