Ferrari appears remarkably unfazed by Trump’s tariff threats

Ferrari appears remarkably unfazed by Trump’s tariff threats

Workers on the assembly line of the new Ferrari NV E-Building factory in Maranello, Italy, on Friday, June 21, 2024.

Francesca Volpi | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Ferrari is considered a special case in the European automotive sector, even though many car giants are coming under pressure from the threat of US tariffs.

President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday that he would impose high tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico in one of his first acts in office. This threatened to disrupt the automotive industry’s supply chains and raised concerns among investors about higher costs.

Trump’s proposed measures include an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese products entering the United States and a 25% tariff on all goods coming from Canada and Mexico.

Auto stocks fell on the news as it could have significant implications for U.S. and European manufacturers, many of which have built factories and rely on auto parts suppliers based in Mexico.

The fact that Europe was not mentioned in Trump’s initial tariff announcement is likely to be welcome news for European Union policymakers, although the 27-nation bloc is likely worried that it is only a matter of time before Trump gets its attention the region’s automotive sector.

However, Ferrari is expected to be spared from most of the consequences.

“For Ferrari, it is the only exception where no matter what the tariff is, they will not start production in the US. Everything is happening in Maranello, Italy,” Morningstar equity analyst Rella Suskin told CNBC via video call.

“With Ferrari, if it’s a 10, 20 or 30 percent car, they can probably easily pass that price on to consumers, just considering the customers they’re targeting and how expensive the cars are already are.” “

To boost U.S. revenues, Trump previously promised to impose a blanket tariff of 10% or 20% on all goods imported into the country, sparking concern among a variety of key trade-dependent sectors such as the automotive industry.

For Morningstar’s Suskin, even a U.S. tariff of up to 30% on all goods imported from Europe is unlikely to deter potential customers from buying a Ferrari. “It’s ridiculous, but that’s the way it is,” she added.

A spokesperson for Ferrari was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

“Less price sensitive than most”

Tom Narayan, global auto analyst at RBC Capital Markets, echoed that view, saying Ferrari appears capable of passing on price increases if Trump follows through on his promise to impose higher tariffs.

According to Thomas Besson, head of automotive sector research at Kepler Cheuvreux, most analysts and investors see the Italian automaker as unique among its European competitors in this regard.

“Time will tell, but it is probably correct,” Besson told CNBC via email.

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Ferrari has made a breakthrough this year, outperforming rival automakers in Europe. Shares of the Milan-listed company have risen over 34% since the beginning of the year, significantly more than stocks such as France’s Renault or Germany’s Mercedes-Benz Group.

“We do not expect Ferrari to establish production in the U.S.,” Anthony Dick, auto analyst at Oddo BHF, told CNBC by email.

“For brand reasons, but also (and probably more importantly) for industrial reasons, as this would require the group to build its supply base locally, which does not seem feasible to us,” he added.

The original entrance to the Ferrari factory in Maranello. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix takes place this weekend at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Italy.

David Davies – Pa Images | Pa Pictures | Getty Images

“It is unclear at this point how the tariffs would impact demand, but one could reasonably assume that Ferrari customers are less price sensitive than most,” Dick said, pointing out that the luxury car rivals of the group would be confronted with similar collective bargaining.

“Porsche is a little different”

The prospect of additional US tariffs is likely to represent a “much larger hurdle” for Germany Porschesaid Besson of Kepler Cheuvreux.

Like Ferrari, which produces its cars exclusively in Italy, VolkswagenThe group’s own company Porsche traditionally builds its luxury models in Germany.

“Porsche is a little different,” Morningstar’s Suskin said.

“You could pass on a 10% rate, but higher rates like 30% might be a little harder to pass on to the customer,” she continued.

A worker checks the quality of the new all-electric Porsche Macan at the Porsche assembly plant in Leipzig on May 6, 2024.

Jens Schlüter | Getty Images News | Getty Images

“They could piggyback off of their parent company Volkswagen, which has some spare capacity in the U.S., but they would have to put in some (capital expenditure) to create a Porsche-specific production line.”

Porsche shares have fallen by around 26% since the beginning of the year.

A Porsche spokesperson was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

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