Multiple Tariffs and Trade Duties Driving Unprecedented Price Increases in Heavy-Duty Truck Parts
The U.S. commercial vehicle industry faces an unprecedented pricing challenge in 2025. A combination of existing Section 301 tariffs, newly implemented Fentanyl and Reciprocal tariffs, and specific antidumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) on brake drums from China and Turkey are creating significant cost pressures throughout the supply chain. These changes will impact fleets, distributors, and OEMs, with ripple effects across the entire transportation sector.
Currently, a substantial portion of North American truck parts comes from overseas manufacturers. In 2024, approximately 43% of U.S. truck parts imports originated from Mexico, Canada, and China. With these new tariffs significantly affecting products from China and, to varying degrees, all imports, price increases across the truck parts sector are inevitable and already materializing.
Chronology of China Tariffs and Duties
| China Duty/Tariff | Date Implemented | Description |
| 2.5% | Long-standing | General baseline duty rate on most imported goods |
| 25% | July 6, 2018 | Section 301 Tariffs (China only) |
| 10% | February 4, 2025 | Fentanyl Tariff |
| 10% | March 10, 2025 | Fentanyl/IEEPA Tariff (China: 10%, Canada/Mexico: 25%) |
| 34% | April 9, 2025 | Reciprocal Tariff on China |
| 50% | April 9, 2025 | Reciprocal Tariff on China |
| 41% | April 9, 2025 | Reciprocal Tariff on China |
Cumulative Impact: These layered tariffs result in effective rates of up to 172.5% on Chinese imports, fundamentally altering the economics of the supply chain.
Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties on Brake Drums
In 2024, Webb Wheel Products successfully petitioned the U.S. government to investigate alleged dumping practices by Chinese and Turkish manufacturers of cast brake drums. The resulting duties, effective early 2025, imposed an additional 126% on Chinese and 110% on Turkish brake drum imports. When combined with the general tariffs listed above, the total import duty on cast brake drums from China approaches 300%, while Turkish products face approximately 123% in duties. These rates have effectively halted cast drum imports from these countries, creating immediate market disruption.
Current and Future Price Effects
The market is already experiencing significant price impacts, with distributors and dealers reporting increases of 15-25% across truck parts generally. Brake drums specifically have seen even steeper increases of 40-60%—even from domestic manufacturers responding to the sudden market shift.
Currently, existing U.S. inventory is somewhat moderating these increases. However, as this inventory depletes and companies place new orders reflecting the full tariff impact, more substantial price increases are expected in the near future.
Domestic Supply Chain Challenges
While U.S. manufacturers stand to benefit from reduced foreign competition, they face significant challenges in ramping up production capacity. Many domestic suppliers had previously scaled down operations due to price pressure from imports, and persistent staffing shortages further complicate expansion efforts.
This supply-demand imbalance echoes challenges seen during the COVID pandemic, with several likely consequences:
• Higher repair and maintenance costs for fleet operators
• Reduced availability of critical parts
• Extended lead times for equipment orders
• Increased inflationary pressure throughout the transportation sector
Since transportation costs directly affect consumer prices across virtually all sectors, broader economic impacts are inevitable.
Market Outlook
The next 6-12 months will be pivotal as the market adapts to these new realities. Adjustments will likely come through some combination of expanded domestic production, development of alternative foreign supply sources, and absorption of higher costs throughout the value chain. Fleet operators and parts distributors may want to reassess their inventory strategies in light of these pricing trends.
DuraBrake’s Approach
DuraBrake remains committed to providing the industry with OEM-quality, high-availability heavy-duty brake products. While navigating the current tariff environment presents challenges, we continue to maintain inventory and have developed a diversified supply chain to ensure continuity, quality, and competitive pricing. Contact us to learn more about our strategy for supporting your heavy-duty braking needs in this evolving market.
