2025 has been one of the most turbulent years for trade policy in recent memory, and if you’re in the auto transport business — or just trying to ship a car — the ripple effects are real. I’ve been in this industry since 1999, and I can’t remember a stretch where so many trade-related changes hit the vehicle market all at once. Let me break down what’s actually happening and why it matters to you.
First, the big headline: the U.S. and EU reached a trade agreement that dropped tariffs on European vehicle imports from 27.5% down to 15%. That’s a massive shift. European automakers have been holding back inventory and limiting U.S. allocations for years because the tariff math didn’t work. Now the floodgates are opening. BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche — they’re all ramping up shipments to U.S. ports. More vehicles arriving at ports means more vehicles that need to be transported to dealerships and buyers across the country.
Then you’ve got the port fee situation. The USTR had proposed steep fees on foreign-built vehicle carrier ships docking at U.S. ports. If those had gone through, it would have added thousands of dollars per vehicle in landing costs. Fortunately, they rolled most of that back in late June. But the uncertainty alone caused shipping delays and carrier scheduling chaos for weeks. Ports like Baltimore, Jacksonville, and Long Beach saw backlogs that are still working themselves out.
On the other side of the coin, Chinese EV tariffs got even steeper this year. The 100% tariff on Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles is effectively a wall. Companies like BYD and NIO that were eyeing the U.S. market have pulled back entirely. That means fewer budget EVs coming in through West Coast ports, which actually reduces carrier demand on certain routes. It’s a mixed bag — good for domestic EV manufacturers, but it shifts where and how transport capacity gets allocated.
Here’s what most people miss: all of this trade policy stuff doesn’t just affect the price of the car you’re buying. It directly affects the cost of shipping it. When import volume surges at East Coast ports because of the EU deal, carriers in those regions get booked up fast. That drives up transport prices on routes originating from port cities. Meanwhile, routes that used to be busy with Chinese imports slow down, and carriers have to reposition their trucks — which costs money and creates inefficiency.
Seasonal timing makes this even more interesting. Summer is already peak season for auto transport. Snowbirds are heading north, families are relocating, and dealerships are stocking up for the buying season. Layer a 12-point tariff reduction on European imports on top of that, and you’ve got a capacity crunch. We’ve seen transport lead times stretch from the usual 7–10 days to 12–16 days on some popular routes this summer. That’s not a crisis, but it’s noticeable.
For carriers, the shifting trade landscape creates both opportunity and headaches. More vehicles to haul is great for business, but the unpredictability of policy changes makes it hard to plan routes and commit to pricing weeks in advance. A carrier who locked in rates for a Jacksonville-to-Atlanta run in May might be losing money on that same run in July because port volume doubled and fuel costs went up. The smart carriers are staying flexible and using real-time load boards — which is exactly what our marketplace was built for.
What should you do if you’re shipping a vehicle in this environment? Book early. Seriously, I can’t say it enough. The days of calling on Monday and having your car picked up on Wednesday are over, at least for the summer. Give yourself a two-week window if possible. And be realistic about pricing — if a quote seems too good to be true right now, it probably is. Carriers have real costs, and trade policy is pushing those costs up whether we like it or not.
I also want to point out something positive: more imports ultimately mean a healthier auto transport industry. More vehicles in the U.S. market means more sales, more relocations, more dealer trades, and more shipments. The carriers who adapt to the new trade reality will thrive. And companies like ours that connect shippers with carriers in real time are in a better position than ever to help both sides navigate the chaos.
The bottom line is that trade policy isn’t some abstract thing that only affects economists and politicians. It hits the auto transport industry directly — in pricing, in availability, in lead times, and in which routes are busy or slow. We’re watching all of it closely at American Auto Shipping, and we’ll keep you updated as things evolve. If you’re planning a shipment, get your quote sooner rather than later. The market isn’t getting any calmer.