General Motors has announced that they will expand production in the United States in response to President Trump's tariffs. 

The news is an early victory for Trump as he faces widespread skepticism over his new "Liberation Day" tariffs, which Trump says will revitalize manufacturing and end decades of unfair trade practices that have hurt U.S. workers.

According to Reuters, GM will increase production of light-duty trucks at its plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. GM also builds light-duty trucks like the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra at plants in Canada and Mexico.

“The Detroit automaker may also add overtime days to the schedule, Plant Director Dennys Pimenta told employees in the webcast,” Reuters reports. “The moves will increase employment there with the hiring of several hundred temporary workers, according to a company source.”

GM hiring American workers

Trump's 25% tariff on foreign-made cars took effect on Thursday, with more tariffs for auto parts coming on May 3.

GM is one of the "Big Three" U.S. automakers, with brands including Chevy, Buick, and Cadillac. According to Reuters, the company is hiring 225 to 250 temporary employees in the U.S. to support increased production of its light-duty trucks.

"General Motors will be making operational adjustments at Fort Wayne Assembly, including hiring temporary employees, to support current manufacturing and business needs. We continuously update and revise production schedules as part of our standard process of evaluating and aligning to manage vehicle inventory," the company said.

Trump has long presented himself as a champion of "forgotten Americans" who have suffered from the outsourcing of factory jobs in states like Michigan, once the center of a thriving domestic auto industry. But Trump's tariffs have faced pushback over expected increases in the price of goods.

While Trump has conceded that his tariffs will likely cause pain in the short term, he says that disruption is an inevitable part of the healing process - comparing his protectionist agenda to surgery.

"It's to be expected where this is a patient that was very sick," he told reporters Thursday.

"Big Three" react to tariffs

The two other U.S. automakers in the "Big Three," Ford and Stellantis (which owns Chrysler), are offering employee pricing to all buyers to stay competitive as Trump's tariff regime begins.

Meanwhile, Stellantis is pausing production at plants in Canada and Mexico, which will lead to 900 U.S. workers being temporarily laid off.

While Trump's reshaping of the economic order has alienated many free traders in his own Republican party, his tariff policy has won support from historically Democratic labor unions like United Auto Workers (UAW).

“We applaud the Trump administration for stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades,” UAW President Shawn Fain said.

“Ending the race to the bottom in the auto industry starts with fixing our broken trade deals, and the Trump administration has made history with today’s actions.”