Mexico Plans Tariffs of Up to 50% On Chinese Cars, Aligning with U.S. Trade Stance
Mexico plans to impose tariffs as high as 50 percent on cars and other products from China and several Asian exporters, a move designed to protect local industries and align more closely with U.S. trade policy ahead of a review of the North American free-trade pact. The proposed tariffs, announced by Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Wednesday, would apply to more than 1,400 categories of goods from countries without trade agreements with Mexico, reports CBT News. Included in the 2026 budget plan, the measure is expected to pass given the ruling party’s majority in Congress. If approved, the tariffs would take effect 30 days after publication in Mexico’s official gazette. The new levies would range between 10% and 50% and cover vehicles, auto parts, steel, toys, and furniture. China, South Korea, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, and Turkey would be among the hardest-hit exporters. The U.S., Canada, Japan, the European Union, and several Southeast Asian nations would be exempt due to existing trade agreements.Officials said the tariffs aim to address imports, particularly Chinese vehicles, arriving at prices well below reference values, while also safeguarding Mexican jobs. Click here for the full story.
Hyundai Raid Will Delay Georgia Battery Plant Construction by Months
The U.S. government’s immigration raid on Hyundai Motor’s Georgia battery plant site will set back construction by two or three months, according to Chief Executive José Muñoz. “All these people want to get back” home, Muñoz said Thursday on the sidelines of an automotive conference in Detroit, reports The Wall Street Journal. More than 300 Koreans were released early Thursday and departed midday from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.But the expertise those employees and contract workers had can’t be easily replaced, Muñoz said. “You need to see how can you fill those positions? And then, for the most part, those people are not in the U.S.”Until Hyundai finds the labor and engineering know-how it needs, it will have to buy electric-vehicle batteries from other suppliers, Muñoz said, adding that the automaker remains committed to investing in the country. “The strategic importance of the U.S. market for the company, that doesn’t change,” he said.The detained workers largely held temporary visas and U.S. authorities alleged they had violated the terms of those. Hyundai’s Executive Chairman, Euisun Chung, said Thursday that he hoped the U.S. and South Korea could work on immigration reforms. Click here for the full story.
Congress Again Introduces Bills to Stop Catalytic Converter Thefts
Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday reintroduced legislation that aims to help law enforcement combat a rise in catalytic converter thefts across the country. It mirrors legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate in July. In support of the bills, the National Automobile Dealers Association and a group of automotive dealers traveled to Washington on Sept. 9-10 to lobby lawmakers.“Catalytic converter theft is a significant national issue for law enforcement, businesses, and vehicle owners. Federal action is needed to combat this dangerous criminal activity,” NADA CEO Mike Stanton said in a statement. “These thefts not only impact hardworking Americans but also put lives at risk.”The Preventing Auto Recycling Theft, or PART, Act is designed to reduce catalytic converter thefts by requiring new vehicles to have the VIN stamped onto the converter, reports Automotive News. That way, law enforcement officers can connect the stolen parts to vehicles.Stolen catalytic converters can garner up to $350 on the black market, and replacements can cost vehicle owners more than $2,500, according to NADA. The thefts also can be violent, the dealer association said. Click here for the full story.
Industry Voices | Jobs for Auto Techs There for the Taking
Americans have had a long love affair with their vehicles, but we are also dependent on them. The privately owned vehicle has evolved in complexity far beyond most individuals’ ability to maintain these. That means we are also dependent on auto technicians, which is easy to overlook until we need one. It’s in our interest to get ahead of the talent shortage before that dependency is critical. One trade often goes overlooked, despite a growing shortage: the auto technician. Shortage estimates for auto techs vary, but most are high. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the repair community will fall short by an average of 68,000 auto technicians every year for the next decade, reports Wards. Similarly, a report from the TechForce Foundation, a non-profit that advocates for the profession, forecasts the industry will employ 178,000 new technicians between 2022 and 2026. That’s far short of the 413,000 technicians the report estimates will be needed. The shortage has been harsh for employers in the independent repair shops segment, where about 70 percent of the total service and repair capacity in the U.S. rests. Click here for the full story.
The IIHS Is Making It Tougher to Get a Top Safety Pick+ Award
For decades, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has been a rigorous body focused on upholding automotive safety, as its comprehensive crash tests and ratings pushed automakers to build stronger and safer vehicles with better structures, airbags, and more sophisticated systems to protect occupants. According to Autoblog, cars that not only passed but exceeded their stringent recommendations were awarded the coveted Top Safety Pick+ award, a badge of honor that shows buyers that the car is one of the safest vehicles on the market for them and their families. The IIHS’s Top Safety Pick+ award has never been easy, but the testing criteria to earn it are about to get even tougher. In a new announcement, the IIHS announced that it’s adding a new layer of requirements aimed not just at crash protection but also at how well a vehicle can prevent them in the first place. During a roundtable hosted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to commemorate its 45th anniversary, IIHS President David Harkey announced that beginning later this decade, features that detect speeding, driver distraction, and driver impairment will become part of the criteria for winning the coveted Top Safety Pick+ award. Click here for the full story.
Baker Tilly and Capital Automotive Real Estate Service Examine Key Real Estate Factors in Dealership M&A
Mike Mader, Principal at Baker Tilly’s Dealership Practice, and Dan Garces, President & COO of Capital Automotive Real Estate Services, address the complexities of real estate in the context of dealership mergers and acquisitions, considering both property ownership and leasing arrangements. Click here to view this 30-minute educational podcast featuring insight from industry experts Mike Mader and Dan Garces.
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