Importing auto parts into the US: 2026 tariffs, NHTSA and EPA rules, documents

QUICK ANSWER Yes. Businesses and individuals can both import auto parts into the US. A long list of parts for cars and light trucks now pays a 25 percent Section 232 tariff on top of the normal duty, which is 2.5 percent on many lines. On a typical listed part, the total is 27.5 percent from countries with no Section 232 deal and 15 percent combined from Japan, the EU, South Korea and Taiwan. UK parts for UK-built vehicles pay 10 percent. USMCA-qualifying parts from Mexico and Canada pay no duty for now, and Chinese parts pay 52.5 percent once Section 301 is added. Every item of motor vehicle equipment must be declared to NHTSA on an HS-7. Safety items such as lamps, glazing, brake hoses and rims must carry the manufacturer's FMVSS certification, and light-duty replacement engines are declared to EPA on Form 3520-1.

If you are importing auto parts, Platton, the import-focused US forwarder, books them on the sailing you need, with confirmed space even in peak season. Our AI-driven platform shows where every container of parts is, and a quote for your next order comes back with live pricing. The 2026 border rules below let you work out the duty on an order before you place it.

What decides the rules for an imported auto part

Three facts about a part decide almost every rule it meets at the border:

• Its 10-digit HTS line. This sets the normal (MFN) duty and tells you whether the part is on the Section 232 list. The Commerce Department maintains that list, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects the duty at entry.
• The country where it was made. Origin settles whether a trade deal, USMCA or the China duties apply.
• What kind of part it is. The type decides what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) need to see in the entry. NHTSA is part of the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Most parts and accessories fall under heading 8708. Engines go under 8407 (spark ignition) and 8408 (diesel), and ignition, starting and lighting equipment under 8511 and 8512. Duty and Section 232 status are set one line at a time. A brake part on 8708.30.50 pays 2.5 percent MFN and is on the Section 232 list. A muffler on 8708.92 is off the auto parts list, although a steel one still pays the separate Section 232 duty on steel articles. Our guide to HTS classification shows how to find the right line for each part number.

Section 232 also splits by vehicle type. One list covers parts of passenger vehicles (sedans, SUVs, crossovers, minivans and cargo vans) and light trucks. A separate proclamation covers parts of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Tires are on the passenger-vehicle list too, but their safety and antidumping rules are their own topic, covered in our guide to importing tires.

Which rules each part type triggers

Whatever the NHTSA column says, every item of motor vehicle equipment needs an HS-7 declaration at entry. The column only shows which parts must already carry the manufacturer's FMVSS certification.

Section 232: the 25 percent tariff on auto parts

Proclamation 10908, signed March 26, 2025, put a 25 percent tariff on listed parts of passenger vehicles and light trucks from every country. It was issued under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act and covers goods entered from 12:01 a.m. ET on May 3, 2025. The tariff comes on top of the normal duty and any other charges.

On the entry, a listed part goes under one of two headings:

• 9903.94.05 adds the 25 percent.
• 9903.94.06 adds nothing. It is used when the part qualifies for USMCA or is not a part of a passenger vehicle or light truck.

Proclamation 10984 followed for goods entered from November 1, 2025, with 25 percent on listed medium- and heavy-duty truck parts and 10 percent on buses.

Which parts are on the Section 232 list

The list sits in U.S. note 33(g) to chapter 99 of the HTS. It covers about 130 listed provisions and reaches well past engines and transmissions:

• Heading 8708 parts: bumpers (8708.10.30 and .60), body parts (8708.29), seat belts (8708.21), windshields and vehicle windows (8708.22), brakes (8708.30), gearboxes (8708.40), drive axles (8708.50), wheels (8708.70), suspension (8708.80), radiators (8708.91), clutch parts (8708.93.60 and .75), steering (8708.94) and airbags (8708.95)
• Engines and engine parts: gasoline engines (8407.31 to .34), diesel engines (8408.20.20) and certain engine parts under 8409
• Electrical: batteries (8507), ignition and starting equipment (8511), and lighting and signaling equipment (8512)
• Glass, mirrors and seats: laminated safety glass (7007.21.51), mirrors (7009.10) and seats (9401.20)
• Tires: six new, retreaded and used tire lines, plus inner tubes
• Items often filed as general hardware: certain rubber hoses and gaskets, springs, fuel and oil pumps, filters, bearings and vehicle wiring sets

Some parts stay off it. Mufflers and exhaust pipes (8708.92) are not listed, and only four 8708.99 subheadings are. Off the list does not always mean free of Section 232: since April 6, 2026, a muffler or exhaust pipe in which steel makes up at least 15 percent of the weight generally pays 25 percent of its full value under the Section 232 duty on steel articles.

A listed line pays the 25 percent only when the part is for a passenger vehicle or light truck. The same line for another kind of vehicle enters under 9903.94.06 with no extra duty, unless the medium- and heavy-duty list covers it. Check every part number against the current note before you place the order.

How the list grows: quarterly inclusions and the 9903.94.07 opt-in

Under a Commerce rule published September 17, 2025, US producers and industry associations can ask for more parts to be added. Requests go in during two-week windows that open at the start of January, April, July and October. The first window opened October 1, 2025. Federal Register notices then confirmed windows from January 1 to 14 and April 1 to 14, 2026. Accepted requests go out for public comment before Commerce decides.

TAKEAWAY A part that is off the list when you sign a supply contract can be on it a few months later. Recheck note 33(g) before each new purchase order.

Importers can also opt a part in themselves. Proclamation 10984 lets the importer of record declare an automobile or truck part subject to the tariff if all of these are true:

• The part is not already covered.
• It is not classified in HTS chapters 72, 73 or 76 (iron and steel, articles of iron or steel, and aluminum).
• It is used for vehicle production or repair in the United States.

The importer certifies this, and the part enters under 9903.94.07 at 25 percent. A part entered this way is outside the Section 232 steel, aluminum and copper duties, so for some parts the opt-in changes the total. Work out the duty both ways before you sign the certification.

How Section 232 stacks with other duties

The 25 percent is added to the MFN duty on the 10-digit line. A free trade agreement rate does not cancel it. Only USMCA and the country deals covered below change it.

Antidumping and countervailing duties still apply on top, as does any other duty in chapter 99, subchapters III and IV, such as Section 301 on Chinese goods. Two layers drop away for a listed part of a passenger vehicle or light truck. One is the Section 232 duty on steel, aluminum and copper articles. The other is the duty on wood products.

Two common ways to reduce duty are limited on this tariff:

• Drawback: Only manufacturing duty drawback is available on the Section 232 auto parts duty, for claims filed since November 1, 2025. It covers a part used to make a product in the United States that is then exported. Re-exporting an unused part does not get the 25 percent back.
• Foreign trade zones: Parts admitted to a foreign trade zone must go in under privileged foreign status. That locks in the classification and rate on admission, and the Section 232 duty is collected when the parts are entered for US consumption.

The IEEPA and Section 122 tariffs that ended in 2026

Importers paid two more tariff layers in 2025 and 2026. Neither applies now.

IEEPA duties. On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court held in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the President to impose tariffs, and CBP stopped collecting IEEPA duties on February 24, 2026. Listed parts of passenger vehicles and light trucks were already exempt from the IEEPA reciprocal duties and from the IEEPA duties on Canada and Mexico. CBP takes IEEPA refund requests through the CAPE function in ACE, as authorized by court order or applicable law. Only the importer of record, or a filer it authorizes, can file the declaration. The filing steps are in our guide to IEEPA tariff refunds.

Section 122 surcharge. A 10 percent surcharge ran for 150 days from February 24, 2026. Goods subject to Section 232 were outside it, and it expired at the close of July 23, 2026.

Auto parts duty by country of origin

The import duty on car parts depends as much on where they were made as on what they are. The table takes a listed part whose 10-digit line carries 2.5 percent MFN duty, such as a bumper (8708.10.30), a brake part (8708.30.50) or a steering part (8708.94.75). It shows the combined duty by origin under HTS Revision 20, in force since September 28, 2026. Fees are extra, and so is antidumping or countervailing duty where an order applies.

Combined rate on a listed part at 2.5 percent MFN

Japan, the EU, South Korea and Taiwan: a 15 percent ceiling

Parts made in these four economies pay at most 15 percent combined. When the MFN rate on the line is below 15 percent, the Section 232 rate is set so the two add up to 15 percent. On a 2.5 percent line, that means 12.5 percent of Section 232 on top. When the MFN rate is 15 percent or more, no Section 232 duty applies.

The ceilings apply to goods entered from these dates:

• EU: August 1, 2025
• Japan: September 16, 2025
• South Korea: November 1, 2025
• Taiwan: May 1, 2026

TAKEAWAY For the 15 percent ceiling, origin means where the part was made. A brake caliper made in Germany qualifies; one made in China and shipped out of Rotterdam does not.

United Kingdom: 10 percent on parts for UK-built vehicles

A listed part made in the United Kingdom pays 10 percent in total, MFN included, when it is for use in a vehicle also made in the United Kingdom. The rate covers goods entered from June 30, 2025. A UK-made part for a vehicle built anywhere else pays the standard 25 percent on top of MFN.

USMCA parts from Mexico and Canada

USMCA-qualifying auto parts pay no 25 percent until Commerce and CBP set up a process to tax only their non-US content and publish notice of it. Knock-down kits and parts compilations fall outside this exemption. HTS Revision 20 still lists qualifying parts under heading 9903.94.06, with no Section 232 duty and a USMCA rate of Free. Qualifying medium- and heavy-duty truck parts get the same treatment.

To qualify, the part has to meet the USMCA rule of origin for passenger vehicle and light truck parts. The regional value content it needs depends on the part category:

USMCA regional value content for auto parts

Principal and complementary parts can also qualify through a tariff shift. The 70 percent North American steel and aluminum rule and the labor value content rule apply to the vehicle producer, not to individual parts. A part shipped from Mexico but built from Asian components may not qualify. How origin is decided is covered in our guide to country of origin rules.

Importing auto parts from China: Section 232, Section 301 and AD/CVD

Chinese parts pay the highest duty of any origin in the table above. HTS, NHTSA and EPA rules work the same as for every other country. The difference is Section 301, which is added on top of Section 232, plus antidumping or countervailing duty on some products.

How the China duty stack adds up

A listed Chinese part pays three layers: MFN, Section 232 and Section 301. Section 301 itself has four lists. Lists 1, 2 and 3 are at 25 percent, and List 4A is at 7.5 percent. Heading 8708 lines, including bumpers, body parts and brakes, are on List 3 at 25 percent. The lists are set by 8-digit subheading.

On $20,000 of Chinese brake parts entered under 8708.30.50, the numbers look like this:

Duty on $20,000 of Chinese brake parts (8708.30.50)

USTR extended 178 Section 301 exclusions through November 9, 2026. Most cover machinery and solar manufacturing equipment, not auto parts.

A new Section 301 action on forced-labor enforcement adds a duty on products of 60 economies entered from July 24, 2026: 12.5 percent for China, Thailand and Vietnam and 10 percent for India, Indonesia and Mexico, among others, with exemptions listed in its annexes. USTR states that auto parts already subject to Section 232 are exempt. That exemption does not reach parts that are off the Section 232 list, whatever their origin, so check their 10-digit lines against the annexes. Our guide to Section 301 tariffs explains the lists and how to check a line.

Duty is one part of buying from China. Our guide on how to import from China covers finding a factory, vetting it and agreeing terms.

Antidumping and countervailing orders on Chinese auto parts

Antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CVD) duties are set product by product and collected on top of MFN, Section 232 and Section 301 duty. The table lists the orders and cases close to auto parts published in the Federal Register through early October 2026.

AD/CVD orders and cases on Chinese auto parts and related products, 2026

Whether an order covers your part depends on its scope language. Check each part against CBP's AD/CVD search in ACE before you order.

NHTSA and EPA rules: FMVSS, the HS-7 and Form 3520-1

Two more agencies have a say at entry. NHTSA sets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for vehicles and equipment, and EPA regulates vehicles and engines under the Clean Air Act. Neither approves parts in advance. The proof has to come from the manufacturer and travel with the goods.

Which parts must be FMVSS-certified before import

The equipment items NHTSA regulates under FMVSS include tires, rims, brake hoses, brake fluid, seat belt assemblies, glazing materials, and lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment.

For each of these, the original manufacturer certifies conformity with a label or tag attached to the item or its delivery container. DOT itself approves no equipment. On a headlamp or tail lamp, the DOT symbol is the manufacturer's own certification under FMVSS No. 108. Buy these items only from manufacturers who certify them.

Vehicles have a registered-importer route. Equipment does not. Under 49 CFR 591.5, FMVSS equipment that was not made to the standard or not certified by its manufacturer cannot be imported. A refused shipment must be exported within 90 days of the notice of refusal, or it is disposed of under customs law (19 CFR 12.80).

The HS-7 declaration for every equipment item

Under 49 CFR 591.5, no one may import a motor vehicle or an item of motor vehicle equipment unless the importer files a declaration (the HS-7) stating the basis for entry. That covers a radiator or a body panel as much as a headlamp. What changes from part to part is the box you check.

HS-7 boxes for motor vehicle equipment

Box 3 is for nonconforming vehicles brought in by a Registered Importer. Loose equipment has no equivalent box.

What an importer for resale owes NHTSA

If you import parts to sell, NHTSA's rules give you a manufacturer's duties:

• You count as a manufacturer. Under 49 CFR 579.4, a person importing motor vehicle equipment for resale is a "manufacturer," and that brings defect and noncompliance reporting duties.
• Shared compliance. Under 49 CFR 573.3, those duties are met for both parties when either the fabricating manufacturer or the importer complies. For replacement equipment other than tires, compliance by the brand-name owner counts as the manufacturer's.
• Foreign recalls. Under 49 CFR 579.11, a manufacturer must report a foreign safety recall to NHTSA within five working days if it covers equipment identical or substantially similar to equipment sold in the US.

Two more duties belong to the supplier, but your shipment stops if they are missing:

• US agent. Every foreign manufacturer or importer of motor vehicle equipment must designate a US agent for service of process before offering anything for import. The agent must be a permanent resident or a US company, and nothing can be imported until the agent is appointed (49 CFR 551.45 to 551.48).
• Registration. Manufacturers of equipment covered by an FMVSS, other than tires, must give NHTSA their name, address and a description of what they make (49 CFR Part 566).

TAKEAWAY Ask your supplier to confirm its US agent designation and its NHTSA registration before the first order.

EPA Form 3520-1: which engines and vehicles need it

EPA Form 3520-1 is the import declaration for motor vehicles and motorcycles, disassembled vehicles and kit cars, and light-duty vehicle and motorcycle engines. Heavy-duty engines and off-road vehicles and engines go on Form 3520-21. Parts that are neither vehicles nor engines, such as brake pads, filters and mufflers, need neither form.

A replacement engine that does not meet EPA standards must come in through an Independent Commercial Importer unless an exemption applies (40 CFR 85.1503). Importing a vehicle or engine improperly can cost up to $59,114 per vehicle or engine.

The Clean Air Act also bans making, selling and installing aftermarket devices meant to defeat emissions controls. From fiscal 2020 to 2023, EPA's enforcement initiative on these devices concluded 172 civil cases, with about $55.5 million in penalties, and 17 criminal cases.

Documents and entry steps for an auto parts shipment

Auto parts almost always come in on a formal entry. Informal entry is limited to $2,500, and goods valued over $250 that carry a Section 232 or Section 301 heading from chapter 99 must be entered formally (19 CFR 143.21). The de minimis route is closed too. Two CBP rules of June 24, 2026 suspended it indefinitely for every mode, international mail included from July 24, 2026, and the exemption ends by law on July 1, 2027.

Documents for an auto parts entry

The Importer Security Filing lists the seller, buyer, importer of record number, consignee, manufacturer or supplier, ship-to party, country of origin and HTSUS number. A late or missing filing can bring a $5,000 penalty.

Two fees come on top of duty:

• Merchandise processing fee: for entries from October 1, 2026, 0.3464 percent of value, with a minimum of $34.58 and a maximum of $670.86.
• Harbor maintenance fee: for ocean cargo through a covered port, 0.125 percent of value.

Our landed cost guide shows how duty, fees and freight add up. For a first estimate on your HTS line, use the import duty calculator.

The entry runs in this order:

1. Confirm the 10-digit HTS line and country of origin for every part number, and check each line against the Section 232 list.
2. Collect the supplier's FMVSS certification evidence and confirm its US agent designation with NHTSA.
3. For ocean cargo, file the ISF no later than 24 hours before loading.
4. File the entry with the chapter 99 headings, the HS-7 and any EPA form, then pay the duty and fees.
5. After release, the cargo moves on to your warehouse.

Each step is laid out in more detail in our guide to the customs entry process.

Mistakes that cost auto parts importers money

The same wrong assumptions come up again and again on auto parts entries. Each row pairs one with what the rule says.

What importers assume / what the rule says

Several of these end in a hold or an exam at the port, where demurrage typically runs $150 to $500 a day per container. Our guide to customs holds and exams explains what happens next.

How Platton helps with auto parts freight

Auto parts are dense freight, and one order often mixes many part numbers, each documented on its own. We plan every shipment around that, from the container choice to the supplier paperwork.

Ocean and air freight from China, Vietnam, India and Europe

We book ocean freight with Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Evergreen and Hapag-Lloyd. Weekly sailings run from Asia and Europe to the US, and you get confirmed space on the sailing you need, peak season included.

Your parts can load at Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Nhava Sheva, Chennai, Rotterdam or Hamburg. They arrive at every major US gateway, including Los Angeles and Long Beach, Savannah, New York and New Jersey, and Houston. Engine and gearbox programs move FCL. When a production line is waiting on a part, air freight gets it there in days.

Routes and transit times are on our lane pages for China, Vietnam, India and Europe. For how we ship for automotive importers, see automotive parts logistics.

Parts from several suppliers in one consolidated shipment

An auto parts order rarely comes from one factory. With buyers consolidation, we collect cargo from your suppliers at origin and load it into one container. You pay for one booking and get one arrival instead of several small ones. If the volume is too small for a full container, LCL carries it in a shared one, and you can move to FCL as the program grows. We ship anything from one pallet to hundreds of containers, and a first shipment gets the same service as a thousandth.

A complete supplier file before the container is booked

A vague invoice line or a missing certification label can stop a container of parts at the port. Our supplier document validation service collects the commercial invoice and packing list, plus the supplier's certification and origin records. We check that the set is complete before anything is booked, so nothing is missing when the container ships. It all sits on our AI-driven platform with automated documentation, next to the booking and the quote.

Tracking to your warehouse after customs release

You can follow every container on real-time cargo tracking, and you get proactive updates when a sailing or a gate time moves. After customs release, our drayage team picks up the container at the port. Same-day port pickup runs at 93 percent across 42 US ports and rail ramps. LTL or FTL trucks then deliver to your warehouse or distribution center anywhere in the US.

Get a quote for your next auto parts shipment from China, Vietnam, India or Europe, with live pricing on the sailing you need.

Common Questions About Importing Auto Parts

Can an individual import auto parts, or only a business?

Anyone can import auto parts into the US, for personal use or for resale, and the rules are the same either way. A listed part bought for your own car pays the same Section 232 duty as one bought for a store. Safety equipment still needs the manufacturer's FMVSS certification and an HS-7, and an engine still goes through EPA.

Small orders get no break either. De minimis is suspended for all modes, international mail included, so a personal order does not come in duty-free.

What is the import duty on auto parts?

It depends on the part's 10-digit HTS line and where it was made. A listed part on a 2.5 percent MFN line pays 27.5 percent from countries with no Section 232 deal, 15 percent in total from Japan, the EU, South Korea and Taiwan, 10 percent from the UK for a UK-built vehicle, and nothing for now under USMCA. From China it pays 52.5 percent. Parts off the Section 232 auto parts list pay MFN plus whichever of these applies: the Section 232 duty on steel and aluminum articles, the 2026 Section 301 duty for their country of origin, the older Section 301 duty on Chinese goods, and AD/CVD.

Does a small auto parts order still need a formal entry?

Usually, yes. Informal entry is limited to $2,500, and goods valued over $250 that carry a Section 232 or Section 301 heading must be entered formally. That covers nearly any commercial order of listed parts. Even a trial order of a few listed parts goes in on a formal entry once it passes $250.

What HTS heading covers most auto parts?

Heading 8708 covers most parts and accessories of motor vehicles, and engines fall under 8407 and 8408. Duty and Section 232 status are set on the 10-digit line, and many common 8708 lines carry 2.5 percent MFN, while the lines for agricultural tractors are Free. Our guide to HTS and HS codes shows how to find yours.

Are medium and heavy-duty truck parts subject to Section 232?

Yes. Proclamation 10984 put a 25 percent Section 232 tariff on listed medium- and heavy-duty truck parts, and 10 percent on buses, for goods entered from November 1, 2025. USMCA-qualifying truck parts are not charged until Commerce and CBP set up a process to tax only their non-US content. Stacking works as it does for car parts, with MFN, Section 301 and AD/CVD duties still applied on top.

Can I import a used engine from Japan?

Yes, with the right EPA paperwork. A light-duty engine is declared on EPA Form 3520-1, and a heavy-duty engine on Form 3520-21. An engine that does not meet EPA standards must come in through an Independent Commercial Importer unless an exemption applies. Getting this wrong can cost up to $59,114 per engine.

For duty, gasoline engines under 8407.31 to .34 are on the Section 232 list, and used or rebuilt engines on 8407.34 carry 2.5 percent MFN. An engine made in Japan pays 15 percent combined under the Japan ceiling.

Can I import used or remanufactured auto parts?

Yes, under the same rules as new parts. Condition does not take a part off the Section 232 list, so a used gearbox pays the same 25 percent as a new one. Used FMVSS equipment such as lamps, glazing or rims still needs the original manufacturer's certification label. Items without it cannot be imported. Used engines go through EPA just as new ones do.

Can car batteries ship in the same container as other auto parts?

Yes, if they are declared and packed correctly. For duty, starter batteries under 8507.10 and lithium-ion batteries under 8507.60 are on the Section 232 list like the rest of the order.

In transport, both kinds are dangerous goods. Wet lead-acid starter batteries are Class 8 unless they qualify as non-spillable, and lithium batteries are Class 9 and move by ocean under the IMDG Code with a dangerous goods declaration. Standalone batteries also need UN-specification packaging, and only carriers whose acceptance policy covers them will take them. One undeclared battery in a mixed container can hold up every shipment in it. Our guide to shipping lithium batteries covers the rules in full.

How long does it take to import auto parts from China?

Typical transit times:

• Ocean to the West Coast: Shanghai or Ningbo to Los Angeles and Long Beach takes about 13 to 18 days port to port.
• Ocean to the East Coast: via the Panama Canal, about 28 to 35 days.
• Air freight: roughly 3 to 8 days from pickup to delivery.

For ocean freight, add a few days for customs and drayage to your door. The entry moves fastest when the ISF is filed no later than 24 hours before loading and the HS-7 and certification evidence are ready before arrival.

Related Industry Guides

• Shipping lithium batteries: UN numbers, labels, and air or ocean rules for battery packs and parts with cells inside.
• Importing electronics: FCC authorization rules and Chapter 85 duties for electronic products.
• Importing tires: DOT rules, anti-dumping duties by country and the 2026 tariff stack for tires.
• All industry guides: import rules by product category.