Trump tariffs threaten India’s slowdown-hit auto parts makers
Donald Trump’s looming import tariffs ripple through global car manufacturing.
Trump had initially taken aim at fully assembled vehicles, with a 25% import duty set to take effect on April 3, but additional levies on car parts such as engines, transmissions and electrical systems are slated to begin by May 3. That’s kicked off frantic lobbying by major carmakers Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Stellantis NV to get certain components excluded, and left Indian suppliers stuck in limbo.
The US is the biggest market for India’s auto parts exports, accounting for almost a third of the $21.2 billion industry in the year ended March 31, 2024. The local passenger vehicle market has been tepid with growth expected at just 2% for the year ending March 2026, Partho Banerjee, senior executive director at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. told reporters on Tuesday.
“Original equipment manufacturers had expected a robust outlook for US growth,” said Jay Kale, an auto sector analyst at Elara Capital. The looming tariff now means “the only silver lining market could falter,” he said.
The prospect of a 25% levy on auto parts has rattled India’s manufacturers since it’s more severe than expectations. The industry had initially estimated they may face about a 15% levy in case US imposes reciprocal tariffs, given that’s the maximum import duty India levies on auto parts from the US.
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The duties are set to have a significant
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