Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on imported automobiles are in effect. The cost — the same as the “Chicken Tax” that has kept competitors out of the American truck market for decades — is staggering. Automakers have had minimal time to adjust, and they are scrambling.
Raised prices for most brands will be a given. Most expect we will lose several vehicle options outright as the cost to import outweighs the potential benefit. Nissan’s luxury arm, Infiniti, appears to already have two luxury SUV offerings on the chopping block.
Key Takeaways
- Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles has been implemented
- Infiniti halted shipments of the Mexican-built QX50 and QX55 crossovers
- Infiniti may cease production entirely if tariffs linger
- Tariffs compound already extant problems for Infiniti
- The brand sold less than half its 2010s per year sales volume in 2024
The Infiniti QX50 And QX55 May Be Departing The American Market
Infiniti builds the QX50 compact crossover and its QX55 crossover coupe version in Mexico. According to a retailer memo uncovered by Automotive News, Infiniti has halted shipments of both vehicles to the United States “until further notice.”
Infiniti had already announced that the QX50 and QX55 would leave the market after the 2026 model year, with production ending in December 2025. A source told Automotive News that Infiniti may end production early if the tariffs stick for the long haul.
Infiniti appears to have a substantial stock of QX50 and QX55 vehicles, which are still available. A quick search on AutoTrader revealed nearly 3,000 new 2025 QX50 and QX55 models at dealers nationwide. Those models should be unaffected by the tariffs.
The Tariffs Don’t Help An Infiniti Brand That Was Already Struggling
Infiniti sold fewer than 15,000 QX50 and QX55 units in 2024. But that still made up about 25 percent of Infiniti’s total sales. Infiniti sold 58,070 vehicles in America in 2024. That was about a 10 percent year-over-year decline from 2023 figures and less than half the volume Infiniti sold pre-pandemic. Infiniti sales declined a further five percent year-over-year in Q1 at a time when Nissan and much of the rest of the industry has been experiencing a sales boom.
TopSpeed’s Take
In a vacuum, things should be looking up at Infiniti. Long-awaited new product is on the way. The brand’s flagship QX80 just got a revamp. However, the tariffs will put a definite damper on things; the QX80 is now facing heavy import duties from Japan. Infiniti’s parent brand, Nissan, was having financial difficulties and nearly merged with Honda before the tariffs hit. If the hefty tariffs stick long-term, assessing the future of the QX50 and QX55 could be the first on a substantial list of difficult decisions.
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