BOISE, Idaho — “I’ve already bought a few of the new [parts] and it’s way more expensive. If it gets more expensive, I’m definitely going to try and find everything I need here,” said Eagle resident Sidney.
Sidney is salvaging car parts for his Ford Ranger to save money, and keep things from going to waste. A sentiment shared by other car owners Idaho News 6 Reporter Allie Triepke spoke to off-camera at Boise’s Jalopy Jungle.
“These are tough times and we feel people need as much help as they can get right now. So our prices are going to stay the same regardless of the demand,” said Mark Salvi, the President of Jalopy Jungle.
With over two decades in the business, Salvi says they see an increase in customers looking to salvage car parts when there is uncertainty in the automotive industry.
READ MORE | How new tariffs could drive higher prices for Americans
“There’s going to be a potential demand for recycled autoparts, because it’s going to be hard to bring in new auto parts from Mexico and Canada,” said Salvi.
The 25% tariff on all foreign-made vehicles began Thursday, tariffs on imported car parts are expected to start next month. President Trump and his administration say this will push auto companies to produce more cars domestically.
Consumers responded in advance, across the US, major car companies saw sales spike sharply in March with nearly 1.6 million vehicles sold.
Here in Idaho, Boise Foreign Car Service shop told Triepke over the phone that their customers have been asking to pre-buy parts in hopes of saving money before tariffs took effect.
The shop says they're not sure yet how exactly the new tariffs will impact pricing.
While many Idahoans like Sidney drive American cars, many companies import parts from overseas. Salvi says customers should take things day by day.
“The markets always shake out. The United States is a massive producer of scrap commodities that the rest of the world needs,” said Salvi.
Jalopy Jungle says they’re happy to serve the communities of their 5 locations across southern Idaho.
“If you have a junk car, an end-of-life vehicle that you want to get rid of and you want a responsible company that will properly decontaminate that vehicle, please give us a call,” said Salvi.
