On March 27, following U.S. President Trump's announcement of a proposed auto import tariff plan, the Stoxx Europe 600 Auto & Parts Index plummeted by 3%, marking a new low since early December. Additionally, U.S. officials disclosed that the tariffs would extend to automotive components. Among European stock indices, the German DAX index led the decline with a 0.9% drop, attributed to its high concentration of automakers. Jochen Stanzel, an analyst at Interactive Brokers, emphasized that the new tariffs would exacerbate the plight of German automakers, whose profits have already taken a severe hit. Consequently, European automakers like Porsche, Stellantis, and Mercedes-Benz witnessed declines of 4.1%, 3.9%, and 3.6%, respectively.
