U.S. imports of Passenger Cars, New and Used — Imports (End-Use 30000) totaled $14.6B in August 2026, imported from 55 countries.
Importers of Passenger Cars, New and Used — Imports paid $2.2B in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 14.89% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: August 2026 dataPassenger car imports into the United States span a wide spectrum from economy sedans to luxury and performance vehicles, with new cars subject to NHTSA Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and EPA emissions certification before entry. Used vehicles face additional scrutiny: those less than 25 years old must conform to US safety and emissions standards or qualify for a specific exemption, making non-conforming imports a compliance minefield. The US passenger car import market draws from a globally distributed supplier base, and tariff exposure — including potential Section 232 measures — is a persistent cost variable for importers.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
373.0K import shipments a month
End-Use codes describe different products on the import and export sides. Cross-direction exports are not shown for this slug.
Under NHTSA regulations, a motor vehicle that is at least 25 years old is exempt from US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and can be imported without conformance modifications. Vehicles younger than 25 years must either already conform to all applicable FMVSS or be imported by a Registered Importer who will bring them into compliance — a process that can be costly and time-consuming.
The EPA administers emissions compliance for imported vehicles. New cars must be certified to EPA standards before sale; used imports must meet the same standards unless they qualify for an exemption (e.g., the 21-year exemption for certain non-road use). Importers typically work with an Independent Commercial Importer (ICI) recognized by EPA to certify and modify non-conforming vehicles.
Commodity 1 of 7 in category 3
Commodity 30000 · $14.6B of $36.2B
Trade Directory
List your company and tag the 6-digit products you trade, so the companies trading them can find you. Be the first supplier listed.
Imports · August 2026
origin
Mexico and Japan together supply 42% of it.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
destination
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
Imports
Imports
$14.6BYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $169.7B of Passenger Cars, New and Used — Imports.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.