MTA Seeks to End $1B of Tariffs on Subway Cars, Buses
Officials said the added costs could force the agency to buy fewer vehicles and affect up to 5,000 jobs.
- On Wednesday, MTA officials warned that President Donald Trump's tariffs on foreign imports will add $1 billion to the cost of modernizing the transit authority's bus and rail fleet by 2030.
- The agency is overseeing a $23 billion vehicle purchase plan, but tariffs on specialized foreign components like electronics and steel have inflated building costs since August 2025, according to Jesse Lazarus, head of the MTA's rolling stock program.
- Lazarus noted that "some of the components... are so specialized that we cannot avoid importing them," despite the MTA exceeding federal 'Buy American' standards with 75% domestic parts in new R211 subway cars.
- Governor Kathy Hochul wrote to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer requesting an exemption, calling the tariffs a "tax on transit" threatening the largest fleet upgrade in agency history.
- Beyond tariff impacts, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber warned that proposed cuts to federal transit funding could cost the authority an additional $250 million annually, jeopardizing accessibility projects and system improvements.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Trump tariffs will add $1 billion to cost of new NYC subways, trains and buses, MTA says
NEW YORK — The Trump administration’s controversial tariffs on imported goods will add $1 billion to the cost of modernizing the MTA’s bus and rail fleet, according to an estimate by the transit agency shared Wednesday — and Gov. Kathy…
MTA: Tariffs Added $1B To Cost Of New NYC Rail Cars
Gothamist reports: The MTA on Wednesday said President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign imports are on track to add $1 billion to the price of New York’s new train cars and buses. The transit agency’s vehicles are all built in the United States but rely on components manufactured abroad. MTA officials said during a board … The post MTA: Tariffs Added $1B To Cost Of New NYC Rail Cars appeared first on Joe.My.God..
Trump tariffs will add $1 billion to cost of new NYC subways, trains and buses: MTA
Trump's "high and unpredictable tariff rates" on specialized components that have to be imported to the U.S. have driven up the cost of building a subway car by 27.9% since August 2025, according to Jesse Lazarus, head of the MTA's rolling stock program.
Hochul warns Trump tariffs could add $1B to MTA fleet costs
Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling for exemptions from federal tariffs on transit rolling stock after a new report estimated the tariffs could add $1 billion to the MTA’s plans to purchase new subway cars, commuter rail cars and buses — and deliver a blow to the agency’s budget. After the report was presented during the...
MTA says Trump's tariffs added $1B to cost of NYC's new train cars, buses
The cost to buy new subway cars has skyrocketed since President Donald Trump returned to office, according to the MTA. New York's train cars and buses are manufactured in the United States, but they rely on loads of components manufactured all over the world. [ more › ]
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