DETROIT — Hyundai Motor and General Motors
are set to be two of the greatest beneficiaries of lower U.S. tariffs on imports, including vehicles, from South Korea.
The South Korean-based automaker is the largest U.S. importer of new vehicles from the country, followed by GM. Both automakers have paid billions of dollars in levies so far this year after President Donald Trump placed 25% tariffs on imported vehicles from South Korea and other countries in the spring.
The Trump administration this past week confirmed plans to lower tariffs on certain products, including vehicles, to 15% from South Korea. A notice about the implementation of the trade deal was posted Wednesday on the Federal Register. Other countries such as Japan and the United Kingdom also have negotiated lower tariff rates with the Trump administration.
Prior to the reduction, Hyundai reported U.S. tariffs costed the company 1.8 trillion won ($1.2 billion) in the third quarter, up from 828 billion won ($565 million) in the previous quarter. GM most recently said its tariff impacts, largely from South Korea and Mexico, were expected to be between $3.5 billion and $4.5 billion in 2025.
