Detroit Diesel Adds Third Shift, Recalls Workers After 25% Tariff
Detroit Diesel is adding a third shift and recalling laid-off workers at its Detroit/Redford plant, boosting staffing within its 3,000-employee operation after a 25% import tariff took effect last October. UAW leaders say the tariff drove this reshoring and call on Daimler Truck NA to increase U.S. union investment.
1. Tariffs Drive U.S. Reshoring
The U.S. government implemented a 25% import duty on heavy truck components in October to encourage reshoring of manufacturing jobs. The United Auto Workers had long advocated for targeted tariffs as a tool to reverse offshoring and boost domestic union employment.
2. Detroit Diesel Plant Expansion
Daimler-owned Detroit Diesel operates a manufacturing facility in Detroit and Redford Township with roughly 3,000 employees. The company will add a third production shift, recalling previously laid-off workers and creating additional union jobs on the assembly line.
3. Union Response and Future Outlook
UAW President Shawn Fain praised the plant expansion as validation of the tariff strategy and urged Daimler Truck North America to further reinvest in U.S. unionized facilities. The union views this as the first step toward broader domestic job growth across the heavy truck sector.