Planning on buying the 2019 Clarity. However, all this recent talk about tariffs on imported cars has me confused if it impacts the Japanese made and imported Clarity. If that's the case I'm better served by purchasing the car now.
I’m wondering the same thing. On the other hand, I’m thinking of waiting until the 2019 models come out this fall: i’m hoping they’ll have worked out the bugs by then
Summary: In general, as far as I know, there are not any new tariffs on Japan products. Some companies in Japan, may be effected by the new(this year) steel/aluminum tariffs. But, the bigger companies have likely been granted an exemption. As far as I know, for now, Japan has not put any additional tariffs on American goods. "Japan" has talked about it. More Detail: Japan and China are rather different - by a lot, in many ways. Japan is an Ally. We have some big Air Force Bases there. Same with Germany. Yea, things change over the years. With the above said, Trump is concerned with protecting American products, and not being as dependent on foreign supplies. Yes, it's a very delicate balancing act. Imho, pick any modern President, they have all done both good and bad in that area. With the above said, as of today, some companies in Japan will have tariffs on imported steel/aluminum. For what-ever reason, Japan as a country, was not a country exempt from that new tariff. https://www.ft.com/content/c7fc9ae0-37e4-11e8-8b98-2f31af407cc8 ====== Mr Trump last month ordered punitive tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminum, claiming that imports were a threat to US national security. He later announced temporary exemptions for Canada, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea and the EU — but Japan was not on the list. That threatens roughly $2bn in Japanese exports from companies such as Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, JFE Holdings and Kobe Steel. ====== And, it gets involved... https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180621/p2g/00m/0bu/040000c ===== US exempts steel products of Japan, 4 others from import duties June 21, 2018 (Mainichi Japan) U. S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross listens during a meeting between President Donald Trump and Republican members of Congress on immigration in the Cabinet Room of the White House, on June 20, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The Commerce Department said Wednesday it has exempted some steel products from Japan and four other countries from U.S. tariffs of 25 percent. The exemption applies to seven U.S.-based companies importing steel products from Japan, Sweden, Belgium, Germany and China, the department said. It was the first time that the United States has taken such action on a product basis since President Donald Trump imposed global tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum in March, citing the need to defend "national security." In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference the Japanese government "will tenaciously continue to urge (more) exemptions from additional tariffs." "Imports of steel and aluminum products from Japan do not pose a threat to the national security of the United States but are contributing to U.S. industry and employment," the top government spokesman said. The U.S. action covers 42 "exclusion requests" from the seven companies, including razor maker Schick Manufacturing Inc. of Connecticut, cutting tool maker Nachi America Inc. of Indiana and specialty steel supplier Hankev International Inc. of California. Nachi America is a U.S. subsidiary of Japanese firm Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. It was not clear which manufacturers from the five countries had secured the exemptions. The decision came after a process to determine whether domestic industry could provide products of a satisfactory quality and in sufficient quantity, as well as whether it was in the U.S. national security interest to grant an exemption for a specific product, according to the department. "This first set of exclusions confirm what we have said from the beginning -- that we are taking a balanced approach that accounts for the needs of downstream industries while also recognizing the threatened impairment of our national security caused by imports," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement. ===== I hope the above helps.
The reality is if tariffs increase the prices of a broad range of cars, it'll cause all car prices to go up just due to supply and demand, regardless of whether a particular company is directly impacted by the tariffs.
