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Only Teslas exempt from new auto tariffs thanks to 85% domestic content rule

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Re: Only Teslas exempt from new auto tariffs thanks to 85% domestic content rule

#131
From the 2025 Part 583 for this year:

- Tesla model 3 - 70-75% US/Canada content

- Tesla model Y - 70% US/Canada content

- Tesla Cybertruck - 65% US/Canada content

- Tesla model S - 65% US/Canada content

Perhaps it is calculated differently since no one hits 85%.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2025-04/MY2025-A...

Re: Only Teslas exempt from new auto tariffs thanks to 85% domestic content rule

#132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems to be about a tariff rebate on imported parts .

Right but presumably 85% of the parts aren't imported? So while it is a benefit, it is a slightly bizarre one? Would be nice to see a technical definition for how the % imported is worked out.

> Right but presumably 85% of the parts aren't imported?

85% of parts != 85% of cost

The rules for calculating what percentage of a vehicle is domestic or foreign made are obscure. It's not clear what rules they're going to be using for this tariff exemption yet.

It could be possible that the 15% foreign content of a car could make up 30% of the cost of goods sold, for example. If the parts come from China they could have a 125% or higher tariff applied, pushing the share of BOM cost even higher.

Re: Only Teslas exempt from new auto tariffs thanks to 85% domestic content rule

#133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The mob was literally minutes away from congressional people. They further kept those same congresspeople surrounded and locked up for hours until Trump called them off. Ashley Babbitt died because she broken through the last barrier between the mob and congress. Had this mob been armed (and there were plans of being armed that were ultimately scuttled), it could have been a blood bath. There was only a handful of LE…

You're exaggerating to try to make a point, but I'm not convinced. You're saying that it could have been much worse if the mob had gotten into Congress, followed by if the mob had offed Democrats, followed by if the Republicans then rubber stamped it and didn't have their own objections, followed by if the Supreme Court was also killed or if the Supreme Court chose to take no action and if the states involved like Ca…

All the mob had to do was steal the ballots, and we would have had a constitutional crisis.

And during a constitutional crisis, the people with their hands already on the levers of power have a huge advantage,

Re: Only Teslas exempt from new auto tariffs thanks to 85% domestic content rule

#134
post #102

I am kind of surprised that the collection of people at the tops of all the big companies commanding so many billions, don't have some sort of behind the scenes levers they can pull to make him squeal like a pig, elected office or no. I can only assume they're all actually largely ok with it. I would not have imagined that they just never thought about things like that in general and now have actually no idea what to…

> I am kind of surprised that the collection of people at the tops of all the big companies commanding so many billions, don't have some sort of behind the scenes levers they can pull to make him squeal like a pig, elected office or no. The "US is an oligarchy, the corporations are in control" was always a false narrative.

Huh? If anything, it now should be clearer than ever that it has been for a long time. The only difference is that the oligarch that happens to be benefiting from it is in the public spotlight, associated with and part of the current administration, and at the same time main guy for several publicly owned companies.

If the other oligarchs seem to be doing nothing, it is not because they have no power to wield.

Good grief. There are times when I read some posts and it is like reading youtube comments under madtv skit 'apple i-rack' asking what it means... how do you not know what it means?

Re: Only Teslas exempt from new auto tariffs thanks to 85% domestic content rule

#136

Used cars are ALSO exempt. And, all used goods bought at secondhand stores are tariff-exempt as well. And so is FB marketplace, Craigslist, and others. My protest is meager, but effective for us - we just will buy used and use 'Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle' where we can. EnEnough of us doing that will slow and hamper the economy (read: rich peoples' money).

That suggests an ecosystem may appear around making new goods "used" enough to meet some legal definition.

The parent comment was a confusing statement. They were saying that buying a used car or goods from a second-hand store does not go through the tariff process because the produce is already here.

There was a loophole in the past where you could take delivery of a car in a foreign country, drive it for a while, and then go through the process of importing it as if you were moving back to the United States. I don't know if the new tariffs honor that loophole or not.

Re: Only Teslas exempt from new auto tariffs thanks to 85% domestic content rule

#137

I don't know if it's the same people but many of the comments here seem the opposite of the comments on EUs rules where people say they're targeting specific companies and comments say "no, the rules are such than all companies over a certain size are covered". If the rule is 85% domestic than any company can do it. I'm not saying the tariffs are good. Only that their point is to get things made domesticly

It's not just the idea in isolation though. I don't think anyone would complain much if the rule was "in N mths the threshold is X". Everyone could do the necessary adjustments and play by the same rules. But if the rule applies immediately, favours the guy who gave you millions, and impacts the competition financially where they need to make me investments to comply with the rules... yeah, that stinks even if it loo…

And absolutely no guarantees those rules stay in place long enough for anyone else to ever benefit.

Re: Only Teslas exempt from new auto tariffs thanks to 85% domestic content rule

#138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The mob was literally minutes away from congressional people. They further kept those same congresspeople surrounded and locked up for hours until Trump called them off. Ashley Babbitt died because she broken through the last barrier between the mob and congress. Had this mob been armed (and there were plans of being armed that were ultimately scuttled), it could have been a blood bath. There was only a handful of LE…

You're exaggerating to try to make a point, but I'm not convinced. You're saying that it could have been much worse if the mob had gotten into Congress, followed by if the mob had offed Democrats, followed by if the Republicans then rubber stamped it and didn't have their own objections, followed by if the Supreme Court was also killed or if the Supreme Court chose to take no action and if the states involved like Ca…

[deleted]

Re: Only Teslas exempt from new auto tariffs thanks to 85% domestic content rule

#139
post #7

I have zero faith in "free market" ideologues, because what we actually get when they gain power is just favoritism for "free market" ideologues.

Trump was never actually a "free market" idealogue. And the GOP officially dropped any mentions of it from their party platform a few years ago. If anything, they are doing exactly what they promised. They were against globalism and elites and international agreements and governance and they are being true to their words.

Against elites but appoints billionaire cronies. Make it make sense.

Re: Only Teslas exempt from new auto tariffs thanks to 85% domestic content rule

#140

I am kind of surprised that the collection of people at the tops of all the big companies commanding so many billions, don't have some sort of behind the scenes levers they can pull to make him squeal like a pig, elected office or no. I can only assume they're all actually largely ok with it. I would not have imagined that they just never thought about things like that in general and now have actually no idea what to…

Most people feel like hapless midwits, and we know that most of us actually are. Yet we have this tendency to assume, for some weird reason, that people in important positions have their shit together more than we do. Only in emergencies and times of crisis do we see that no one has their shit together. When we see that, we want to blame it on conspiracy or some sort of 5-dimensional chess being played, because it go…

Yes, accidental, hapless stumbling onto major windfall on multiple occasions clearly is an indication of nothing more than pure, unadulterated, McDuck level of luck and not, I repeat, not indication of anything but simple return of a favor.
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