Electric Mobility

March 8, 2025. President Trump revealed the direction in which his Administration will take US trade policy, with double-digit import tariffs playing a key role. For automakers, parts suppliers and related industries historically organized to take full advantage of global supplies, the President’s speech and the rapid rollout of Executive Orders make clear that the international trade landscape has entered a new era.

A number of non-tariff policy changes also loom, from efforts to pause funding under the 2022 IRA, pulling back EV charging infrastructure monies to changes in federal climate policy. The months ahead will be challenging but the news is not all bad. By most accounts, US sales of electric vehicles continue to grow.

Tackling tariffs. They are not a simple calculation.

The long-established rules of how they are applied and at what production stage are now top-of-mind for senior executives, corporate board members and the investment community. They are complicated. They bring an immediate and long-lasting revenue impact. For these reasons, this website is designed to help executives keep abreast of the myriads of tariff announcements from the Oval Office. Our tariff tracker gives readers a quick snapshot of the “what” and our trade alerts provide the “why” and “how”.

Today, companies are taking a fresh look at their US import compliance strategies to understand and apply the right tariff calculation. And with the six-year “review” of the USMCA on the near calendar, taking full advantage of its tariff-preference provisions can be an important first step.

We can help. The ArentFox Schiff Electric Mobility team is comprised of former senior attorneys at key US trade agencies, including the US Department of Treasury and Customs and Border Protection. We work seamlessly with corporate divisions and executive offices towards the right tariff mitigation approach and add value to supply chain decisions.

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2. Meet the team
3. Get the facts from As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns

Bridging the gap between policy and the bottom line. 

Every company and every product is different; and so are the strategies for near and long-term advantage. These include:

• Mitigating the effect of high US tariffs, such as Section 301 China duties and Section 232 aluminum and steel duties, through tariff exclusion requests, product origin and classification analysis, and supply chain restructuring.
• Increasing the competitiveness of a company’s electric mobility products in the US market by an analysis of USMCA qualification status, i.e., the ArentFox Schiff USMCA Diagnostic.
• Determining a company’s product’s eligibility under the Trade Agreement Act (TAA) for federal government procurement.
• Taking advantage of duty-savings programs like duty drawback or special tariff classification (Chapter 98).
• Adopting reasonable care and liability standards to your supply chain to mitigate the risk of onerous CBP and government agency enforcement actions.
• Contracting effectively within a company’s supply chain (suppliers and logistics service providers) for the movement of goods into the US.
• Contracting effectively with domestic partners for the distribution of electric mobility products and their components, including the siting of charging stations.

For Us, Smart In Your World Is Not Simply a Tagline

While many of these strategies may be familiar, the current risks facing the industry demand a strategic rethinking of a company’s approach to compliance, due diligence and “reasonable care”.

This is where our team at ArentFox Schiff comes in.

Areas of Focus

• USMCA automotive rules of origin
• US import rulings, regulations and enforcement risk mitigation
• US 301 tariffs on parts imported from China
• US 232 tariffs on certain steel and aluminum imports
• NHTSA standards and proposed rulemaking
• International and domestic manufacturing and supply chain strategies