Business
business
Max Knoblauch

Frontier’s still dreaming of a budget airline buyout. Spirit, not so much.

Three years later, Frontier Airlines is back and trying to buy Spirit.

On Wednesday, Frontier said it made another offer to snag its budget rival — this time for $2.1 billion, or about $800 million less than its takeover attempt in 2022. Spirit said it has rejected the bid (not enough $$) but that it’s willing to talk. (Being willing to talk is a pretty standard line for publicly traded companies because they have a duty to their shareholders.)

Back in 2022, the two airlines planned to merge before JetBlue proposed a stronger offer. Spirit bailed on Frontier, but the JetBlue deal ended up being blocked after opposition from the Biden administration’s DOJ. Spirit and JetBlue called off their $3.8 billion merger early last year, and Spirit filed for bankruptcy in November.

Should the two sides ultimately find some common merger ground (and receive the OK from Trump’s antitrust agencies), a Frontier-Spirit combo carrier would be America’s fifth-largest airline.

Frontier makes new offer to combine with bankrupt Spirit Airlines — and is rebuffed

Frontier makes new offer to combine with bankrupt Spirit Airlines — and is rebuffed

Back in 2022, the two airlines planned to merge before JetBlue proposed a stronger offer. Spirit bailed on Frontier, but the JetBlue deal ended up being blocked after opposition from the Biden administration’s DOJ. Spirit and JetBlue called off their $3.8 billion merger early last year, and Spirit filed for bankruptcy in November.

Should the two sides ultimately find some common merger ground (and receive the OK from Trump’s antitrust agencies), a Frontier-Spirit combo carrier would be America’s fifth-largest airline.

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Max Knoblauch

The Trump administration is reportedly planning a 50% made-in-America requirement for USMCA tariff relief

Qualifying for USMCA-related lower tariffs may soon require more US-made vehicle components, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal.

The Trump administration is reportedly planning to introduce a 50% US content requirement for vehicles covered by the trade pact to receive lower tariffs. The content would be measured by cost, according to the WSJ.

There currently isn’t any US-specific requirement for those lower tariff rates, but in order to receive preferential tariffs, vehicles are must contain at least 75% regional content (components made in North America). Per Reuters reporting, the Trump admin is seeking to raise the regional requirement to 82%.

These reported plans are subject to change as the US negotiates USMCA terms with Mexico over the next few months.

Overall, Tesla will likely have the easiest time qualifying for any stricter requirements. The automaker’s vehicles contained the highest amount of US/Canadian content in 2025, according to American University research. Ford, GM, and Stellantis all scored lower.

Notably: the underlying government data that many domestic content measurements rely on intentionally combines US and Canadian components, so it’s difficult to know exactly how much of any given vehicle is specifically US-made.

Exclusive | Trump Administration Wants Autos Under USMCA to Be at Least 50% Made in America

Exclusive | Trump Administration Wants Autos Under USMCA to Be at Least 50% Made in America

There currently isn’t any US-specific requirement for those lower tariff rates, but in order to receive preferential tariffs, vehicles are must contain at least 75% regional content (components made in North America). Per Reuters reporting, the Trump admin is seeking to raise the regional requirement to 82%.

These reported plans are subject to change as the US negotiates USMCA terms with Mexico over the next few months.

Overall, Tesla will likely have the easiest time qualifying for any stricter requirements. The automaker’s vehicles contained the highest amount of US/Canadian content in 2025, according to American University research. Ford, GM, and Stellantis all scored lower.

Notably: the underlying government data that many domestic content measurements rely on intentionally combines US and Canadian components, so it’s difficult to know exactly how much of any given vehicle is specifically US-made.

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