U.S. imports of Motor Vehicles for Passenger Transport (Non-Public) (SITC 78120) totaled $14.7B in August 2026, imported from 55 countries.
Importers of Motor Vehicles for Passenger Transport (Non-Public) paid $2.2B in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 14.87% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule.
Last updated: August 2026 dataPrivate-use passenger motor vehicles not elsewhere specified — a residual category that captures automobiles and light passenger carriers outside the standard sedan, SUV, and van classifications — are among the most trade-remedy-sensitive imports in the US tariff schedule. Passenger vehicles are subject to Section 232 national-security tariff considerations, and country of origin, assembly location, and parts content all bear on duty treatment. Importers and OEM procurement teams must track both the tariff classification and any active trade-remedy proceedings that could affect landed cost.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
373.9K import shipments a month
For passenger vehicles, country of origin is determined by where substantial transformation occurs — typically final assembly — rather than where components are sourced. This matters because Section 232 tariff applicability and any free-trade-agreement preferences depend on origin. Vehicles assembled in USMCA-qualifying facilities in Canada or Mexico may receive different treatment than those assembled elsewhere, subject to regional-value-content rules.
Imported passenger vehicles must comply with NHTSA Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and EPA emissions standards. Vehicles not originally built to US specifications require modifications and formal conformance certification before they can be registered for road use. The DOT HS-7 declaration form is required at entry to confirm compliance status.
Basic heading 3 of 642 in section 7
Basic heading 78120 · $14.7B of $172.0B
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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.
ImportsExports
Imports
$14.7BYoY · free account
Exports
$3.6BYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $170.5B of Motor Vehicles for Passenger Transport (Non-Public).
Through August 2026 · exports 10 of 12 months reported. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.