24-hour hotline : 23 922 922
e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk
Ref. : EIC 111/3
EIC 111/3/13
27 March 2025
(Last updated on 2 May 2025)
Dear Sirs,
The US President on 26 March 2025 signed a proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose a 25% tariff on imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts. All imports of specified automobiles shall be subject to a 25% tariff on 3 April 2025, and on the date specified in the Federal Register (FR) for specified automobile parts, but no later than 3 May 2025.
2.Concurring with the US Secretary of Commerce (Secretary)’s finding in the 2019 report under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 that automobiles and certain automobile parts are being imported into the US in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the US and after considering the current information newly provided by the US Secretary, the US President finds that imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts continue to threaten to impair the national security of the US and deems it necessary and appropriate to impose tariffs to adjust imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts.
3.On 26 March 2025, the US President signed a proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose a 25% tariff on imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts. Among others, except as otherwise provided in the proclamation, all imports of articles specified in Annex I to the proclamation or in any subsequent annex to the proclamation, as set out in a subsequent notice in the FR, shall be subject to a 25% tariff with respect to goods entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on 3 April 2025, for automobiles, and on the date specified in the FR for automobile parts, but no later than 3 May 2025, and shall continue in effect, unless such actions are expressly reduced, modified, or terminated. The above ad valorem tariff is in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported automobiles and certain automobile parts articles.
4.The US Secretary shall determine the modifications necessary to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) to effectuate the proclamation and shall make such modifications to the HTSUS through notice in the FR. Within 90 days of the date of the proclamation, the US Secretary shall establish a process for including additional automobile parts articles within the scope of the tariffs. No drawback shall be available with respect to the duties imposed pursuant to the proclamation.
5.For further details, please refer to the presidential proclamation, the White House’s fact sheet, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s messages and the FR notice:
Presidential Proclamation
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/adjusting-imports-of-automobiles-and-autombile-parts-into-the-united-states/
White House’s fact sheet
https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-adjusts-imports-of-automobiles-and-automobile-parts-into-the-united-states/
US CBP’s Cargo Systems Messaging Service Message - Guidance: Import Duties on Certain Automobiles
https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-3da18a1?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2
US CBP’s Cargo Systems Messaging Service Message - Guidance: Import Duties on Certain Automobile Parts (Update)
https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-3de8cac?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2
FR notice
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-04-03/pdf/2025-05930.pdf
6.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact us at telephone number 2398 5405.
Yours faithfully,
(Miss Kwany KOU)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry
Note: While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.