Auto industry wouldn't need bailouts if there were tariffs in place.
2 billion whole dollars in like 5 years. WOW, amazing. The US government would be making that type of "profit" every day if there were tariffs in place.
Tariffs? In a Global sector where we've been getting our hat handed to us over the past several decades by Japan and Germany, on the issue of product quality and overall esthetic appeal, I doubt that Tariffs would have been anything less than regressive, and if attempted, you would have seen them lifted in a heartbeat.
There is far too much competition for that, making far to many appealing products for Tariffs to work as a revenue generator. If you want revenues you have to compete and that means designing, engineering and producing quality automobiles that appeal. Our problem is that for too many decades, we did none of those things very well and Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, BMW and Mercedes (all before the various corporate entanglements took place), ate our lunch and stole our lunch money - both at the same time.
That's why when you think basic luxury car (as just one classification example) as an American car buyer, you start with Mercedes, then you move to BMW, and probably then to Audi (maybe Lexus). You probably only think about Cadillac, as you drive home past that dealership that's been sitting in the same location for the past 65 years - and that's our Flag Ship Luxury Automobile, for goodness sakes.
Fit & Finish issues, cheap parts and sloppy assembly, has been the way we did things for far too long. I remember buying a brand new 2000 Corvette MN6 Coupe. I had problems with the Fuel Sending Unit, Headlight Assembly, Mass Airflow Sensor, Ignition System and the Parking Break never worked. $50k+ for America's Flag Ship Sports Car and all I had were headaches and problems, not to mention lame mechanics who caused two problems for every one that I drove in with. I never bought another Corvette again. One and done.
We compete by innovating and building quality products at decent prices. But, I'm afraid the Auto Wars are long since over.