News Brief: U.S. Lowers Tariffs on South Korean Vehicle Imports
Summary
The U.S. has reduced its tariff on imported South Korean vehicles from 25% to 15% as part of a trade deal. Hyundai and GM, the largest importers of South Korean vehicles to the U.S., stand to benefit significantly, having paid billions in tariffs this year.
Key Points
- Tariff Reduction: The Trump administration confirmed the tariff cut from 25% to 15% for vehicles imported from South Korea.
- Major Beneficiaries: Hyundai (including Kia) and GM are the top two importers of South Korean vehicles to the U.S. and will see reduced costs.
- Financial Impact: Hyundai reported Q3 tariff costs of $1.2 billion. GM initially expected $2 billion in costs from South Korean tariffs but now forecasts closer to $1 billion or less by 2026.
- Investment Context: The deal follows South Korea’s legislative move to fulfill a promise to invest $350 billion in the U.S. over several years.
- Import Volume: Over 1.37 million South Korean-made vehicles (8.6% of U.S. sales) are estimated for 2024. Hyundai Group plans to import ~951,000 vehicles in 2025.
- Future Plans: Hyundai aims for over 80% of its U.S. sales to be locally produced by 2030, up from ~40% currently.
- GM’s Strategy: GM uses South Korean plants to produce popular entry-level crossovers (e.g., Buick Encore GX, Chevrolet Trailblazer), with U.S. sales of these models rising sharply since 2019.
新闻简报：美国降低对韩国进口汽车的关税
总结
作为贸易协议的一部分，美国将对进口韩国汽车的关税从25%下调至15%。现代汽车和通用汽车作为美国最大的韩国汽车进口商，将显著受益，它们今年已支付了数十亿美元的关税。
关键点
- 关税下调：特朗普政府确认将对从韩国进口汽车的关税从25%降至15%。
- 主要受益者：现代汽车（包括起亚）和通用汽车是美国最大的韩国汽车进口商，成本将因此降低。
- 财务影响：现代汽车报告第三季度关税成本为12亿美元。通用汽车最初预计韩国关税将带来20亿美元成本，但现在预测到2026年将接近10亿美元或更少。
- 投资背景：此次协议之前，韩国正式在国会提出立法，旨在履行其未来数年向美国投资3500亿美元的承诺。
- 进口数量：预计2024年将有超过137万辆韩国制造的汽车（占美国销量的8.6%）进口到美国。现代汽车集团计划在2025年进口约95.1万辆。
- 未来计划：现代汽车的目标是到2030年，其在美国销售的汽车80%以上实现本地生产，目前比例约为40%。
- 通用的战略：通用汽车利用韩国工厂生产受欢迎的入门级跨界车（如别克昂科拉GX、雪佛兰开拓者），这些车型在美国的销量自201年以来大幅增长。
Original Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/03/trump-south-korea-tariffs-vehicles-hyundai-gm.html