Section 232 Truck Tariffs: The 25% Duty on Imported Heavy Trucks
The tariff covers trucks built in Mexico and Canada as well as overseas, with credits for U.S. content. How it is calculated and what it means for truck buyers.
Since November 1, 2025, imports of medium- and heavy-duty trucks and listed truck parts have paid a 25% tariff under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, and buses pay 10%. Trucks that qualify under the USMCA trade agreement can pay the 25% only on their non-U.S. content, and U.S. truck assemblers get an offset worth 3.75% of the value of trucks they build here. Status below is as of November 2026.
What does the Section 232 truck tariff cover?
The tariff was set by Presidential Proclamation 10984, signed October 17, 2025, after a Commerce Department national security investigation that began in April 2025. It covers:
| Product | Tariff | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (trucks and tractors) | 25% | On top of any other duties |
| Medium- and heavy-duty vehicle parts listed in Annex I | 25% | Commerce can add more parts through an inclusion process |
| Buses and other vehicles in tariff heading 8702 | 10% | USMCA content rule for trucks does not apply |
| Vehicles made at least 25 years before entry | 0% | Exempt from the new tariff |
The proclamation cited Commerce findings that imports made up 43% of Class 4 through 8 trucks sold in the U.S. and 50% of Class 8 trucks. The full text is in the proclamation in the Federal Register.
How do USMCA trucks from Mexico and Canada pay the tariff?
A truck that qualifies for USMCA preferential treatment does not escape the tariff, but it can be taxed only on the part of its value that is not U.S. content. The importer submits documentation of the U.S. content for each model to the Commerce Department. Once Commerce approves it, the 25% applies only to the truck’s value minus that U.S. content.
Commerce published the procedure on February 2, 2026, and importers could start submitting on or after that date. The details are in the Commerce notice on U.S. content submissions. Until a model is approved, the tariff applies to its full value.
Overstating U.S. content carries a heavy penalty: if Customs and Border Protection finds the declaration inaccurate, the 25% applies to the full value of that truck and to every truck of the same model from that importer until compliance is verified.
How are truck parts treated?
Listed parts pay 25%, but USMCA-qualifying parts were left out of the tariff until Commerce and CBP set up a process to tax only their non-U.S. content and announce it in the Federal Register. We found no such notice for truck parts as of early November 2026. Knock-down kits and similar collections of parts pay the tariff regardless of USMCA status, so a truck cannot avoid it by being shipped in pieces.
Importers can also choose to declare certain parts used for truck production or repair in the U.S. under the truck parts tariff, if those parts are not already covered and are not steel, iron or aluminum articles.
What is the 3.75% offset for U.S.-assembled trucks?
Truck makers that do final assembly in the U.S. can apply for an import adjustment offset equal to 3.75% of the value of all medium- and heavy-duty trucks they assemble here each year, from November 1, 2025 through October 31, 2030. The figure is what a 25% tariff would cost on parts making up 15% of a truck’s value. The offset can be used only against that manufacturer’s truck parts tariffs.
Commerce opened applications from U.S. truck manufacturers on May 15, 2026, and published a matching process for engine manufacturers on July 29, 2026. Trucks with final assembly outside the U.S. do not count toward the offset.
What does the tariff mean for truck prices?
The duty is paid to CBP by the importer of record when the truck or part enters the country, usually a manufacturer’s U.S. sales company rather than the end buyer. For a buyer, the tariff is a cost that lands on trucks built outside the U.S. and on imported parts, and how much reaches the sticker depends on where a model is built and how much U.S. content it has. Several truck makers assemble Class 8 models in Mexico, which is why the USMCA content rule matters so much to the U.S. market. We do not cite a dollar figure per truck because no official source publishes one, and the outcome varies by model and by how each maker prices.
The tariff arrived alongside other cost pressures on new trucks, including the federal emissions rules for model year 2027 engines covered in our guide to truck emissions rules. Owner-operators financing a truck should get the final price with all charges in writing, and lease-purchase drivers should check whether a carrier’s program terms change with equipment costs; see lease-purchase truck programs.
Bottom line
The 25% rate stays in effect until a proclamation changes it, and we found no such change in the Federal Register as of early November 2026; the 3.75% offset runs through October 31, 2030. The number that decides a specific truck’s cost is its approved U.S. content, so buyers comparing a Mexican-built and a U.S.-built model of the same brand may see different pricing even though both are USMCA trucks.
FAQ
When did the heavy truck tariff start?
It applies to trucks and listed parts entered on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on November 1, 2025.
Are trucks from Mexico tariffed?
Yes, but USMCA-qualifying trucks can pay the 25% only on non-U.S. content once Commerce approves the importer’s content documentation.
Does the tariff apply to used trucks?
Imported vehicles are covered regardless of age except those made at least 25 years before entry, which are exempt.
Are buses included?
Yes. Buses and other vehicles in tariff heading 8702 pay 10% instead of 25%.
