Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Sunday he would impose tariffs of up to 200% on cars imported from Mexico, ramping up trade protectionist rhetoric ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

Trump, who faces Democrat Kamala Harris in the race, previously promised that if elected president he would impose 100 percent tariffs on imported cars and trucks to help the domestic auto industry, but speaking at an airport rally in Juneau, Wisconsin, it doubled that number.

“We will impose a 200% tariff if we have to,” Trump said. “We won’t let this happen. “We are not going to allow these vehicles into the United States.”

The former president campaigned in Wisconsin for the fourth time in eight days, highlighting the importance his campaign places on the state less than a month before the election.

Opinion polls have shown Harris, the US vice president, with a slight lead in Wisconsin after the state went for President Joe Biden over Trump four years ago.

Both Harris and Trump have invested enormous amounts of time, money and resources in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which the American Electoral College considers key to victory. In 2016, Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in these states en route to the presidency. Biden did the same in 2020.

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Harris campaigned Thursday in Wisconsin with former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney.

Trump made his remarks on tariffs while promising to strengthen the US auto industry. Experts said their plans could lead to higher car prices.

Mexico exported about 3 million vehicles to the U.S. in 2023, and Detroit’s three automakers accounted for about half of those exports.

The Tax Policy Center think tank said huge new tariffs on Mexican auto exports “will likely increase the cost of vehicles, both domestic and imported, used and new.”

Trump previously threatened to impose high tariffs on cars from Mexico as president and candidate in 2016. Imposing tariffs of up to 25% on Mexican cars and components could have a major impact on the industry and increase vehicle costs, automakers said in 2019. (Reuters).