DFDL will attend the 2026 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, November 3-6. Companies with legal or business needs in the United States, ASEAN, or both are invited to meet with the DFDL team during the Show.
A changing tariff picture
U.S. trade rules affecting tire supply chains changed materially in 2026. Effective July 24, additional Section 301 duties related to forced-labor import controls apply broadly to imports from China and seven ASEAN countries, subject to published exemptions:
- 10% additional duty: Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia.
- 12.5% additional duty: China, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
- Not covered by this action: Brunei, Laos and Myanmar. Their goods remain subject to ordinary tariff treatment and any other product-specific measures.
These rates are only the starting point. The exemptions are product- and country-specific, and importers must confirm the correct HTS classification and treatment at entry. The Section 301 duty may apply in addition to ordinary customs duties and any antidumping or countervailing duties. Companies should not rely on 2025 reciprocal-tariff tables: the IEEPA-based duties were terminated in February 2026, and the subsequent 10% import surcharge was temporary.
Tire-specific trade measures
Several tire-specific measures also remain important:
- China remains central. In July 2026, the United States continued the antidumping and countervailing-duty orders on Chinese passenger and light-truck tires. Separate orders on Chinese truck and bus tires also remain in force following their August 2024 continuation.
- Thailand and Vietnam remain under review. First five-year reviews are underway for the Thai antidumping order and Vietnamese countervailing-duty order on passenger and light-truck tires. Both orders remain in force pending the outcomes.
- Rates continue to move. Commerce’s July 2026 final Thai review set weighted-average dumping margins of 2.90% for Sentury Tire and 0.00% for Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) and assigned a 2.90% review-specific rate to the non-examined companies. June 2026 preliminary Vietnamese subsidy rates were 3.01% for Kenda Rubber (Vietnam) and 5.84% for Kumho Tire (Vietnam). The Vietnamese results are not final.
- Thai truck and bus tires. A separate antidumping order has applied since December 17, 2024. At issuance, margins were 12.33% for Prinx Chengshan and all other producers/exporters and 48.39% for Bridgestone.
Other automotive measures relevant to SEMA
- Automobiles and automobile parts. A 25% Section 232 tariff applies to covered passenger vehicles, light trucks and specified automobile parts. The vehicle tariff took effect April 3, 2025, and the parts tariff took effect no later than May 3, 2025. Coverage depends on the HTSUS classification and the applicable country- and product-specific rules.
- Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, parts and buses. Since November 1, 2025, covered medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and specified parts have been subject to a 25% Section 232 tariff; buses and other vehicles classified in HTSUS heading 8702 are subject to a 10% tariff. Specific exceptions and special rules, including USMCA rules, must be checked before entry.
The commercial point: There is no single tariff rate for an ASEAN tire. The result depends on the product, country of origin, producer and exporter, entry date, and review history. Cash deposits may also differ from final assessments. Moving Chinese inputs or production through ASEAN does not, by itself, establish ASEAN origin; the manufacturing performed and the supporting records are critical.
How DFDL can help
DFDL combines U.S. trade advice with on-the-ground legal support across ASEAN. We can help with:
- Product classification, order scope, company-specific rates and landed-cost analysis;
- Country-of-origin analysis, production mapping and supporting documentation;
- Customs valuation and importer-of-record risk; and ASEAN manufacturing, investment and supply-chain restructuring coordinated with U.S. trade-law advice.
Meet at SEMA
If your business has needs in the United States, ASEAN, or both, please contact Melissa Welebir Kuhn at [email protected] to arrange a meeting at SEMA. Assess exposure before changing suppliers, relocating production or pricing U.S.-bound sales.
This client alert is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Duty treatment depends on the product, producer/exporter, entry date and procedural posture.
DFDL offers expert Trade and Tariffs solutions across 10 ASEAN jurisdictions. Explore our Southeast Asia team.
