Posted on 04/07/2025 1:54:40 PM PDT by vespa300
Volkswagen is holding cars at US ports amid tariff turmoil.
Audi, the luxury arm of the world's second largest global automaker, has confirmed it's in a high-stakes holding pattern triggered by President Donald Trump's 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles.
The affected cars arrived in the US the same day Trump announced the sweeping levies. Now, they sit idle as VW considers its next move.
Executives are thought to be hoping for either a presidential U-turn or a chance to negotiate a lower rate.
It's the latest shot across the bow from VW. The company said it will display new 'import fee.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
That's an interesting observation. I asked Grok if US-spec cars can be sold in Europe. Short answer -- No, not without a lot of modifications to meet Euro standards! So double shipping costs, storage in the USA, leasing containers, and then huge costs to convert them to European standards. Doesn't sound practical or economic.
Grok 3 says -->
US-specification automobiles can be sold in Europe, but it’s not a straightforward process due to differing regulations. The European Union has its own set of standards for vehicle safety, emissions, and design, primarily governed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regulations and EU directives, like Regulation (EU) 2018/858. These rules often clash with the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).For a US-spec car to be sold or registered in Europe, it typically needs to comply with EU requirements. Key differences include stricter EU emissions standards (e.g., Euro 6 norms), mandatory features like rear fog lights, and specific headlight designs that avoid dazzling oncoming drivers—stuff US regs don’t always demand.
American cars also tend to prioritize larger engines and different crash standards, which can conflict with EU fuel efficiency and pedestrian safety rules. So, a stock US-spec car straight off a Detroit lot? Probably not road-legal in Europe without mods.
That said, there’s wiggle room. Manufacturers can adapt US models to meet EU specs—think Ford or Tesla, which tweak their designs for global markets. For individual imports, gray-market loopholes like Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) exist in some EU countries, letting owners modify and register non-compliant cars. It’s a hassle, though—costly retrofits, paperwork, and sometimes a “special registration” fee. Posts on X and web chatter back this up: people do import US cars, but they’re jumping through hoops to make it work.
Big picture? No outright ban stops US-spec cars from hitting European roads, but the regs make it tough unless they’re built or modded to fit the EU mold. Carmakers usually just design separate EU-spec versions to avoid the headache.
Yep. The VAT is applied to most domestic and foreign sourced cars in Germany.
I have an 02 Avalanche. Been paid off for soooo long. Even if I get 12 miles a gallon, I can still do most of what comes up myself. Love the thing.
My Dad served in Germany not too long after WWII. In the 60’s he bought a pretty red VW convertible lost in a pileup, and a yellow Karmann Ghia. I loved the VW smell, must have been the leather, rubber, or adhesives they used? Do they still have that distinctive smell?
I loved the movie, “Castle Keep”. That soldier loved his VW.
European governments since WWII have adopted policies to penalize consumption and encourage savings to assist industry and recapitalize their economies.
But this really rewards exports and certainly isn't fair to US manufacturers, although from a European perspective a US manufacturer simply pays the same VAT when the item is imported into Europe.
The real problem in Europe and East Asia are the non-tariff barriers. For example, you would think Tesla could ship cars to Germany from Texas, but as soon as Tesla grabbed enough market share, it became difficult to do so. This encourages capital flight from the US because US companies must build or buy manufacturers in Europe to get equal treatment.
“penalize consumption and encourage savings to assist industry and recapitalize their economies.”
Except penalizing consumption hurts capitalization. It is the one thing socialists fail to understand. Profits capitalize, savings do not. It is the flow of money that makes for capitalization, not stagnate money.
That VW smell/fragrance/aroma was their vinyl seats and floors. Dad always seemed to have a VW back the 60’s and 70’s and they always have that distinctive “new car” smell.
World’s Second Largest Automaker VW !
In the US auto market, Volkswagen’s market share, as of the end of 2024, was around 2.2%.
Goodbye VW it was nice getting to know you !
Worlds Second Largest Automaker VW.
In the US auto market, Volkswagen’s market share, as of the end of 2024, was around 2.2%.
Goodbye VW it was nice knowing you !
I love my Sylvia (Silverado). We get about 14 miles per gallon. She is of legal age 17 and we fit together like a glove.
We both love our vehicles. They made solid cars back in the old days and are still reliable to this day.
My Dad served in Germany not too long after WWII. In the 60’s he bought a pretty red VW convertible lost in a pileup, and a yellow Karmann Ghia. I loved the VW smell, must have been the leather, rubber, or adhesives they used? Do they still have that distinctive smell?
I loved the movie, “Castle Keep”. That soldier loved his VW.
Oh, about 50 days I think !
They currently have a 79 day supply. So they can wait 50 days til they reach a 30 day supply before delivering/paying the tariff.
They may be able to work something out before that.
“Volkswagen 79 71,766 Steady”
The Germans at least gain capital from export profits as does China, and high savings makes capital cheaper to borrow and more profitable when invested in business than simply collecting interest.
““Volkswagen 79 71,766 Steady””
I don’t get it?
I would add that many of these policies came out of the Bretton Woods era, when oil and other imports had to paid in gold. So sustained large-scale trade deficits were impossible.
Looks like it’s under $2k retail on a RORO, and it’s probably cheaper in bulk. Return would probably be cheaper still, since there aren’t as many going US to Germany.
Another big win for the US consumer, no doubt with billions in future repair cost savings even over our very mediocre US designed vehicles. Not as big as the per-car savings from Land Rover earlier, but still good!
Volkswagen’s sales here in Japan fell below 30,000 units for the first time in 30 years.With all the great domestic vehicles , why any Japanese buy VW is beyond me .
Bingo! At some time indeterminate within the last 30 years or so, VW and Audi somehow forgot how to design reliable automotive electronics. Couple this with uninspiring, generic designs and you get a marketing disaster. Does make one wonder if they are not somehow haunted by the spirit of Mr. Lucas
Great, now it will be worse. Recently someone I know had to wait over a year for VW to get parts to fix his car. The dealer had it for 14 months, then when he got it back, 2 weeks later a major part failed and VW said, sorry, your warranty expired last month.
After contacting VW. Cope, they still denied the arranty claim. They said , sorry if you don’t even have your car for 14 months.
I contacted several lawyers and no one would take my case.
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