as we just mentioned a tariff on all imported vehicles sold in the US is set to take effect in May And it's going to mean significantly higher prices for consumers not just on their cars but also on any needed repairs Raven Santana takes a look at the timeline and what some dealerships have to say about it We will supercharge our domestic industrial base We will pry open foreign markets and break down foreign trade barriers President Trump's auto tariffs are now in effect with the 25% levy on imported vehicles to the US officially in place The 25% tariffs applied to any vehicle not assembled in the US which according to S&P Global Mobility made up about half of the approximately 16 million vehicles sold in the US last year It is a a punch in the gut a little bit Um not totally surprising but still it it's a lot to absorb Laura Prada president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers warns that the impact could be devastating for businesses and consumers here in New Jersey We're looking at anywhere from a 3,000 to $12,000 cost increase per vehicle I mean that is totally well put We're going to have less people selling these vehicles at dealerships than New Jersey And you are going to have in turn less people employed at those dealerships And these are small businesses across the state There are 523 rooftops that are auto dealers new new auto dealers in this in the state of New Jersey We have roughly 37,000 um people who are employed um either directly or indirectly through dealerships in the state of New Jersey That includes managing member Andy Shapiro of Hudson Hyundai and Subaru in Jersey City who says his phone hasn't stopped ringing with questions from customers Everything you see here is I will call a pre-tariff car So so consumers still have an opportunity between I would say now and the middle of May uh to buy cars at these pre-tariff rates because 60 days from now as inbound cars come in they will be they will most likely be be priced higher We were very very busy over the weekend as was as were so many of my colleagues with people coming in trying to purchase a car before uh before these tax increases go in And Shapiro says in addition to expected price hikes for cars customers should also expect higher repair bills If uh parts become taxed which we're told they will as of May 3rd when you come to have your car repaired theoretically the uh the parts could be as much as 25% higher And so therefore not just for car buyers but for people who need to service their cars you go to work every day you need a reliable car Um unfortunately I think this is going to become more expensive for for everyone for everyone out there could be a situation where the extra costs associated with vehicle maintenance could have an impact on safety Robert Sinclair Jr senior manager of public affairs for AAA Northeast advises consumers to carefully consider a vehicle's final assembly location Knowing where a car is built can help drivers understand which vehicles may be subject to tariffs And from what I've looked at no American no quote unquote American vehicle has 100% American parts So no matter what you decide to buy you'll be paying a bit of a tariff Shapiro offers consumers two key tips First if you're planning to buy a vehicle within the next 90 days try to accelerate the process and make your purchase within the next 60 days Second if you have any upcoming repairs aim to get them done before the tariffs on parts take effect in May For NJ Spotlight News I'm Raven Santana [Music]