b'20American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comINGs Luman says tariff impacts on UK and EU auto exports to US yet to hit Rico Luman, Senior Sector Economist, at Dutch bank ING specializing in transport, logistics and the automotive industry in a Q&A with American Jour-nal of Transportation, expects the impacts from the US tariffs hasnt yet been felt. But he expects over the coming months and beyond, the impacts of US tar-iffs and trade policies will begin to show.By Stuart Todd, AJOTTheimpactofPresidentbeentalkofthiskindof Trumpstariffsonexportsdeal.Itwasmentionedby ofvehiclesandpartsfromVolkswagen during their last the EU and UK to the US, ofearningscallbutasfarasThe Wallenius Wilhelmsen Parsifal sails into the Port of Baltimore.15%and10%respectivelyIm aware this has not led to this summer (2025), has yetanything concrete, at least at(WHAMMYcontinueders,tobeusedinconjunc- net ton. Fees will be payable to fully materialize. this stage. from page 18) tionwithsection232tariffsas of October 14, 2025. Based InaQ&AwithAJOT,AJOT: What strategies areThe two proposed exemp- onimportedforeigncars,on the substantial increase in RicoLuman,SeniorSectorEuropeanOEMsadoptingintionstotheAnnexIIIfeeswith the intention of makingfees compared to the previous Economist,atDutchbanklight of the US import tariffs? areforUS-ownedorUSUS auto manufacturers moreupdateof AnnexIII,weare ING,specializingintrans- LUMAN: European autoflaggedvesselsenrolledincompetitiveintheUScon- working diligently to evaluate port,logisticsandtheauto- exports to China (the worldstheMaritimeSecurityPro- sumer market. the impact for Wallenius Wil-motiveindustry,highlightsbiggestmarket)continuetogram(MSP)andUSGov- helmsen,ourcustomers,and what some of the latest dataslide,amajorfactorbeingernment vessels. The USTRi mPacTS onuS r o /r o ourtradingpattern.Wesee is showing. Luman also shedsthatOEMsarewell-repre- hasalsoproposedtoaddab uSineSS the risk of higher costs linked somelightonthestrategiessentedintheICE(internalthird exemption for US-flagWhile the reasoning behindto port fees in the near-term. beingdevisedbyEuropeancombustion engine) segmentvessels of up to 10,000 dwtthe legislation might be unclear,Because of the above, and that OEMs to compensate for anwhereas the market is quicklywith a comment period.theimpactsontheRo/Rothe proposed fees being sub-expected decline in volumesshifting towards EVs. So, theUnsurprisingly the Ro/RooperationsintheUScouldstantiallyaboveourexpec-inwhatisalucrativeactiv- emphasis will probably focussector feels it is being unfairlybe far reaching and with neartations, we find it prudent to ity, a challenging task to sayon ramping up existing pro- wacked. And it seems it is. certainty will not underwritesuspend our financial outlook theleast,giventhatglobalductionfacilitiesintheUS.WhytheRo/Rosectoraninstantaneousrevivaloffor 2025 as communicated in market conditions continue toEuropeanautomakerswillwastreateddifferentlythancommercial US shipbuilding. the Q2 2025 report until fur-be far from ideal. no doubt also be looking toothersectorsisalegislativeWallenius Wilhelmsen, thethernotice.[editorsitalics]. AJOT: How have EU/UKsellmorevehiclestoothermystery.However,inBene- worldslargestRo/Rooper- Our Q3 2025 results are not auto exports to the US trendedcountries and regions acrossdictsMaritimeBulletinforator, in their Stock exchangeimpactedbytheaboveport over the past few months? theworldSouthAmericathe3 rd Quarter,BryantE.noticessectionoftheirwebfees, but Q4 may be affected.LUMAN: Corporate fig- and the rest of Asia, being aGardner,apartneratWin- page wrote a short notice enti- Ro/Roportsarealso uresfromOEMsshowthatcoupleofexamples,whileston Strawn LLP, speculatedtledWalleniusWilhelmsen:worriedabouttheeffectof exportstotheUSgenerallyIndia may offer future oppor- in an article on the targetingUS port fees impact 2025 out- the fees and tariffs on foreign held firm in the third quartertunities too. But its hard toof the Ro/Ro sector, In con- look which outlined the cur- vehiclesnottomentionthe (July-September)withtheseethisfullycompensatingtrast,Ro/Rooperators,whorent situation not only for WWadministrationsanti-wind exception of Mercedes. How- for the loss of export volumeshadnoopportunitytocom- but nearly all non-US flag Ro/ powerstance,whichisthe ever, the effects of the tariffstotheUSandChinainthement on fees to be imposedRo operators calling US ports.sourceofmanyhighand arestilllikelytofollowasshort run. uponvesselsbuiltinalliedOn October 10, 2025, a pro- heavy loads for Ro/Ro carri-automakers have yet to passAnotherstrategicshiftnations,receivednosuchposed modification of Annexers and their ports of call. on the cost burden, choos- couldseegreaterregional- exceptions. The origin of theIII in the USTR section 301And the first of these Ro/ing rather to prioritize sales. izationofproductionwithRo/Ro-specificfeesapplica- onportfeeregulationswasRo port call fees is hitting GlobalautoshipmentsEuropesOEMsturningoutbletonon-Chinesevesselsreleased. In the proposal, feesthe carriers now. On October fromGermany,byfarthemore vehicles on the homeis unclear. Some in industryconcerning most Ro/Ro carri- 14 th Ro/Rooperator Atlantic largest exporter from the EU,(IMPACTScontinued onspeculate that the push cameers was increased from USD(WHAMMYcontinued on accounting for over 3 millionpage 21) fromUSautomanufactur- 14 per net ton to USD 46 perpage 21)unitsannually,contracted inAugustandSeptember (-3% year over year). But the impactofthetariffshasnt beenmassiveyet(-1%in total exports to the US) since theso-calledLiberation Day earlier this year.UK unit exports are reported tohaverecordedmoreofa drop-off,butthedisruption causedbythecyberattack atJaguarLandRoverhas clearly been a factor.While on balance ex-Eu-rope shipments are down, the USautomobilemarketdid display some strong momen-tum in anticipation of the tar-iffs and also the termination of EV subsidies by the end of September.Therealimpact willlikelyfollowinthe coming months and beyond.AJOT:Have there been any agreements reached with the U.S. authorities for Euro-pean OEMs to set up produc-tion plants in the US in return for tariff relief?LUMAN:Therehas'