For a US manufacturer, a tariff is two things at once: protection for what it makes and a tax on what it buys. Between 2018 and 2026 the US used almost every trade authority it has:
What the study covers
- 1Overview: protection and input tax in one instrument
- 2The sequence, 2018–26, as it hit factories
- 3Section 232 in detail: metals, derivatives and the 6 Apr 2026 overhaul
- 4Section 301, IEEPA, Section 122 and refunds: the manufacturer's view
- 5Trade remedies: AD/CVD and safeguards
- 6Stacking: building one line's duty
- 7USMCA rules of origin for autos
- 8What reshoring data show
- 9Reshoring failures: Stanley Black & Decker's Fort Worth plant
- 10Nearshoring to Mexico
- 11Who paid: company tariff costs, 2025–26
- 12How to read tariff and reshoring claims
- 13Key numbers
- 14Landmark companies and cases
- 15Pitfalls
- 16How an expert thinks about it
- 17Glossary
Technical exhibits
Worked examples, checklists and case studies included with this study.
Truck Bill of Materials Tariff Stacking Worked Example
Stylized US heavy-truck assembler: nine imported parts under Section 232 truck parts (25%), Section 232 metals (50% full value), Section 301 (2018–19 list plus the 2026 tier), MFN and USMCA; the 3.75% truck-parts offset; gross ~$7,311 vs net ~$3,061 a truck; seven scenarios (computed in Python)
Tariff Exposure Checklist for a Bill of Materials
A line-by-line review of a bill of materials: classification, origin, authority, stacking, offsets and refunds, data and declarations, price clauses, and the decisions that follow
Companies in this study
- Whirlpool
- Stanley Black & Decker
- Harley-Davidson
- Carrier Global
- Caterpillar
- Deere and Company
- Paccar
- Ford Motor
- General Motors
- Stellantis
- Nucor
- U.S. Steel
- Alcoa
- Mattel
- Hyundai Motor Group
- Bombardier. For how a tariff is set, filed and paid, the IEEPA litigation and refunds, de minimis, the UFLPA and customs brokers see Supply chain 19 Trade Policy, Tariffs, Customs and Forced-Labour Rules; for China+1, Mexico and origin enforcement see Supply chain 14 Nearshoring; for solar and battery trade cases see Energy 18 Policy and Regulation; for chip export controls see AI 20 Geopolitics and Export Controls.