Chinese 301 tariffs

Tariffs and Trade

Tariffs & Trade Impacting the Automotive Aftermarket Latest News

The Auto Care Association is actively monitoring this evolving situation and will provide updates as new information emerges. Check this page regularly for the latest developments.

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Use our tariff calculator to help you identify which recent U.S. tariffs may apply cumulatively to your products.

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We welcome your feedback to help us better understand and assess the impact of these tariffs on our industry and businesses. Please share with us by contacting Angela Chiang, director, international affairs, at angela.chiang@autocare.org.

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Current Status

On March 26, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation imposing a 25% tariff on imports of automobiles (effective April 3, 2025) and certain automobile parts (tentatively effective May 3, 2025).

Current Status

Effective March 7, 2025, imports from Canada and Mexico that meet USMCA rules of origin are exempt from the additional IEEPA duties. Imports that do not satisfy USMCA rules of origin are subject to a 25% tariff rate. Energy products from Canada and potash from Mexico and Canada are subject to a reduced tariff rate of 10%.

Effective March 4, 2025, imports from China are subject to a 20% tariff rate, an increase from a 10% tariff rate that went into effect on Feb. 4, 2025.

Note that many products imported from Canada and Mexico were already duty-free under MFN rates, making USMCA declarations unnecessary. Under the new policy, importers must document and ensure USMCA compliance (if eligible) to be exempt from the IEEPA tariffs. Otherwise, the 25% IEEPA tariff would apply.

Current Status

On April 1, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to establish a 10% baseline tariff and country-specific reciprocal tariffs on imported goods.

On April 9, 2025, President Trump issued an order delaying the country-specific reciprocal tariffs effective April 10, 2025. The country-specific reciprocal tariffs originally went into effect on April 9, 2025 and will be suspended for 90-days, after which the country-specific rates in Annex I will apply.

The baseline 10% tariff remains in effect for all products from all countries during this time, except for products that are covered by the exemptions listed in the original order (see below).

However, the 90-day pause does not apply to China due to their retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-origin goods. China's reciprocal tariff rate has increased from the original 34% to 84% and now to 125%. This applies to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 10, 2025.

 

Current Status

As of March 12, 2025, the expanded Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum are now in effect. All imports of steel and aluminum are subject to a 25% tariff, and previous country exemptions and tariff-rate quotas have been eliminated.

The tariffs also apply to certain derivative products based on the steel and aluminum content. The product exclusion process has been terminated, meaning previously approved exclusions are no longer valid.

Current Status

The Section 301 China tariffs implemented in 2018-2019 remain in effect, with most tariff rates unchanged since their initial implementation. While some product exclusions have been extended, the majority have expired, except for a limited set scheduled to expire on May 31, 2025.

Additionally, a new 20% tariff on imports from China was imposed under IEEPA, taking effect on Mar. 4, 2025.


global trade and supply chain blog

New Section 232 Investigation: Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks and Parts

Apr 28, 2025, 14:04 PM by Angela Chiang
On April 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce initiated a new national security investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 into imports of medium-duty trucks, heavy-duty trucks, and related parts and derivative products.

On April 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce initiated a new national security investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 into imports of medium-duty trucks, heavy-duty trucks, and related parts and derivative products.

Scope of Investigation:

  • Medium-duty trucks: trucks with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 and under 26,001 pounds.
  • Heavy-duty trucks: trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more.
  • Medium- and heavy-duty truck parts: components and systems, including engines and engine parts, transmissions and powertrain parts, and electrical components.

Request for Public Comments:

The Commerce Department is seeking written comments from interested parties on issues including:

  • Domestic demand for trucks and parts
  • Reliance on foreign supply chains
  • Risks from import concentration
  • Effects of foreign subsidies and unfair trade practices
  • Expansion of U.S. production capacity
  • Whether additional measures are necessary to protect national security

A full list of issues under review can be found in the Federal Register notice linked below.

Member Feedback

We encourage members who are impacted by potential tariffs or other trade actions on medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and parts to provide feedback to the Auto Care Association for inclusion in our industry comments. We also encourage members to submit their own comments so that individual business impacts are fully represented in the public record.

The deadline for written comments is June 10, 2025.

Contact Us

Investigation Notice

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For Questions


Angela
Angela Chiang
Director, International Affairs

angela.chiang@autocare.org

 

(240) 333-1057