Vehicle tariffs land at the program level, not the SKU level. The headline rate is the small problem. The bigger ones: which Tier 1 contracts allow tariff pass-through, which Tier 2 inputs are quietly Chinese-origin under a Mexican line item, and whether your USMCA qualification documentation will hold under audit if the policy posture sharpens.
Section 232 on steel, aluminum, and copper runs 50% on primary metals and 25% on derivatives, assessed on full article value since the April 6, 2026 overhaul, with country-specific layers. Section 301 on Chinese-origin electronics, batteries, and components stacks separately, reaching 100% on covered Chinese EVs and 50% on covered semiconductor tariff lines. After the Supreme Court struck IEEPA tariff authority in February 2026, a 10% Section 122 surcharge took its place through July 24, 2026, but vehicles and parts already covered by Section 232 are exempt from it, so the 232 and 301 architecture is the real exposure for this sector.
This page does two things. First, the Automotive Tariff Pressure Map shows where stacks are landing across the HTS chapters typical of vehicle and parts sourcing. Second, the two-minute diagnostic surfaces the program- and supplier-level dimensions most automotive CFOs and program leads do not have full visibility on.
Output is a sector-specific exposure brief built around program economics, USMCA posture, and Tier 1/Tier 2 supplier pass-through.
A vehicle component crosses borders multiple times before final assembly, and tariffs compound at each tier. The flow below traces a representative powertrain part from raw input to delivered OEM cost, showing how Section 232 (metals) and Section 301 (China content) stack as value is added down the chain. The single largest lever is USMCA qualification at the Tier 1 boundary, which can strip a full duty layer where substantial transformation is documented. Indexed to 100 at raw input; figures illustrative of a representative bill of materials.
The automotive exposure brief is sector-specific, drawing on the diagnostic answers and the pressure map data above. It is delivered as a one-page memo with prioritized action paths and the questions to put in front of the program lead, supply chain VP, and CFO.