Automotive Parts: Tariff Refund Playbook

TL;DR

Automotive Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers absorbed IEEPA duties directly into OEM pricing in 2025. Refund claims here typically cross $500,000 per supplier for mid-sized importers.

Typical 2025 exposure: 3 to 9 percent of 2025 landed cost. Primary ports of entry: Detroit / Port Huron, Laredo, Los Angeles / Long Beach. Our licensed broker partners have filed on behalf of importers in this vertical and can handle claim preparation under 19 CFR 111.

1. The Automotive Parts Refund Profile

Automotive Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers absorbed IEEPA duties directly into OEM pricing in 2025. Refund claims here typically cross $500,000 per supplier for mid-sized importers.

Top HTS lines for this vertical:

• vehicle parts (HS 87)
• machinery (HS 84)
• rubber (HS 40)
• aluminum (HS 76)

IOR posture: Tier suppliers are IOR on direct-from-foreign shipments. OEMs buying domestic-tier are not the IOR on the original import.

2. The Most Common Mistake

Ignoring drawback stacking. Duty drawback on re-exported parts runs in parallel with IEEPA refund. Both can be claimed on the same entry for different duty types.

Our AI analyzer flags these kinds of issues automatically on 7501 upload. For a faster read, the IEEPA Refund Calculator returns a refund range from four inputs.

3. What You Should Do This Week

IEEPA calculator + duty drawback calculator + tariff stacking calculator. Auto parts benefit from running all three.

Concrete three-step path:

1. Pull your 2025 ACE entry history. Everything from April 2, 2025 to February 20, 2026.
2. Identify the IEEPA-dutied lines. HTS codes starting with 9903.01 indicate IEEPA exposure. Your broker can export this as a single CSV.
3. Calculate and prioritize. Claims above $250,000 get a direct broker review. Claims under that can go through the calculator and AI analyzer first to right-size the engagement.

4. Compliance Posture

Automotive Parts importers face the same industry-wide trap: refund mills quoting 30 percent contingency fees and promising "file today." Two reasons to walk away:

1. 19 USC 1641 makes customs business without a licensed broker a federal offense. Every filing we route goes through a licensed customs broker partner under 19 CFR 111.
2. FTC Section 5 prohibits unsubstantiated refund claims. We publish estimate ranges with the explicit "subject to CBP adjudication" caveat. Mills that promise a dollar figure on a cold-call intro are the ones the FTC pays attention to.

5. Next Steps

• Take the 60-second qualification quiz.
• Run the IEEPA Refund Calculator.
• If exposure crosses $250,000, book a 30-minute consultation.
• If you have any UFLPA, AD-CVD, or transshipment concerns, route to a customs law firm instead.

Tariff Refund Credits is a lead-generation service. Customs business is performed exclusively by our licensed customs broker partners under 19 CFR 111. Not legal or tax advice.