Auto Care Association Statement on White House Announcement on Steel and Aluminum Tariffs

BETHESDA, Md. – March 9, 2018 – The following statement can be attributed to Bill Hanvey, President and CEO of the Auto Care Association:

“The Auto Care Association will continue to oppose the steel and aluminum tariffs that were announced by President Donald Trump on March 8. Based on the fact that there are few parts necessary for the upkeep of a vehicle that do not contain significant amounts of steel and aluminum, this action will have a significant negative impact throughout the supply chain, including many small medium and small businesses and their employees that comprise the auto care industry. While we are grateful that our trading partners, Canada and Mexico, are currently exempt, it is our view that that these tariffs will quickly become a tax on the repair and maintenance of vehicles, a tax that will ultimately be paid for in higher repair prices by the American car owner. While we strongly urge the President to reconsider this action, at minimum we hope that the administration will look to create an efficient exemption process for qualified U.S. companies in order to alleviate the harm that will be caused by the imposition of this tariff.”