Trump's golf carts, his preferred mode of transportation second only to Air Force One, Feel the brunt of his trade conflicts
In the first 100 days of Trump's second term, the golf carts slung around by the president, typically made by American brands Club Car and E-Z-Go, couldn't escape the trade war's reach either. With Trump calling the shots, the administration announced plans to offer tariff exemptions for automakers manufacturing their rides within the U.S. to alleviate some pressure in moving production to domestic plants. But as it turns out, even vehicles marketed as "Made in America" fall pretty short of being wholly domestic.
Tesla is reported to top the "Made in America" list at around 87.5% domestic parts, but even the golf carts favorites of Trump, Club Car and E-Z-Go, are no exception to the global reality. While these companies assemble their carts stateside, parts are sourced from various foreign countries, including China, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Turkey, Europe, and more.
In 2024, global insights claim that Club Car and E-Z-Go, who hold over 37% of the golf cart industry market share, imported an assortment of vital parts from China and Taiwan. E-Z-Go, owned by the diversified industrial conglomerate Textron, even sources their golf cart engines from Taiwan, GPS tracking systems from Malaysia, and nearly every other component from China. Club Car, on the other hand, has a somewhat more diverse supply chain but still imports a good chunk of their components from China, including chargers, motors, plastic injection molds, brakes, clutches, and parts.
The ITC has accused Chinese-made golf cart imports of causing substantial harm to the U.S. market. A final decision, which will potentially involve imposing tariffs on Chinese-made golf carts, is scheduled for June 17. Faced with the potential steep tariffs on China-made golf carts, domestic golf cart manufacturers would benefit, but global tariffs would force them to make tough choices between passing along the costs to consumers or sacrificing profits.
The complex supply chain of "Made in America" products is under the spotlight. As CEO of ImportGenius, Michael Kanko puts it, "American manufacturers are not 'exempt' from the consequences of global trade." It's a precarious game of risk and reward for both the Trump administration and American manufacturers alike.
More insights:
Trump tariffs
To learn more about the intricacies of Trump's tariff policies, read our article Trump tariffs: Threatening July 4th fireworks.
War in Ukraine
The U.S. and Ukraine signed a long-awaited minerals deal to rebuild Kyiv and repay aid. Catch up on the details here.
[1] Global Market Insights. (2025). Golf Cart Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Type (Retractable, LSV, Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV), Others), By Component (Frames, Motors, Solid Tires, Batteries, Brakes, Steering Mechanism, Others), By Application (Residential, Commercial, Industrial), By Region and Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028.
[2] Kade, C. (2019, April 30). Trump says he will work with Motorsports industry on tariffs for race cars. Retrieved from https://www.autonews.com/regulation-safety/trump-says-he-will-work-motorsports-industry-tariffs-race-cars
[3] Nguyen, N., et al. (2020, July 13). U.S. car tariff plan: Auto industry asks for exemptions, says places over 700,000 jobs at risk. Retrieved from https://reuters.com/article/us-trade-us-auto/us-car-tariff-plan-auto-industry-asks-for-exemptions-says-places-over-700000-jobs-at-risk-idUSKCN24A1RH
- The golf cart industry is facing significant challenges due to tariff policies, as American brands like Club Car and E-Z-Go import considerable parts from foreign countries, including China and Taiwan.
- With the potential for steep tariffs on Chinese-made golf carts, domestic manufacturers could benefit, but global tariffs could lead to tough decisions between passing costs to consumers or sacrificing profits.
- According to the Global Market Insights report, Club Car and E-Z-Go combined hold over 37% of the golf cart market share.
- The ITC has accused Chinese-made golf cart imports of causing substantial harm to the U.S. market, and a final decision on tariffs is scheduled for June 17.
- The complex supply chain of "Made in America" products is under the spotlight, as American manufacturers are not exempt from the consequences of global trade.
- To understand the intricacies of Trump's tariff policies, one can read the article "Trump tariffs: Threatening July 4th fireworks" on CNBC.
- The U.S. and Ukraine signed a minerals deal to rebuild Kyiv and repay aid, with more details available in the CNBC article "US-Ukraine sign long-awaited minerals deal to rebuild Kyiv and repay aid."
