US-UK Trade Deal offers no relief for historic vehicles parts industry

Bicester, Oxfordshire, 09 May 2025 – The HCVA: Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance, one of Britain’s leading automotive trade organisations known for advocating the preservation, promotion, and enjoyment of historic and classic vehicles, warns of continued impacts to the UK automotive parts supply sector despite the welcome relief for car manufacturers in yesterday’s trade agreement announcement with the US. The alliance states that certain car parts, including those for historic vehicles, will be one of the only remaining UK exports still caught by the penalising 25% tariff rate.

Dale Keller, CEO of the HCVA said “UK historic vehicles have long been popular with enthusiasts in the USA and keeping these vehicles on the road depends on importing parts from the UK’s specialist supply chain. By applying the automotive tariff relief through a quota mechanism on 100,000 vehicles, the trade agreement has left many in the parts sector high and dry from access to lower tariffs as it stands. These pre-existing and replacement parts for historic vehicles have no reasonable prospect of being recreated as newly manufactured in the USA and surely should fall outside the US policy objectives. The HCVA will continue to urge the UK Government to seek more favourable terms in its ongoing negotiations to ensure the specialist parts supply chain in the UK remains viable for the future preservation of an important industrial and design legacy.”

ENDS

About the HCVA

Established in 2021, the Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance is a not-for-profit trade organisation founded to represent the collective voice of industry within the historic and classic vehicle sector, supported by individual owners and enthusiasts. The HCVA campaigns to increase awareness and education of the sector's economic and social benefits across four key pillars of regulation & policy; environment & sustainability; education & skills, and community.

Through collaboration, transparency, and proactive lobbying the HCVA ensures the views of its members are heard by those responsible for policy and regulation, and that they can be challenged and held accountable.

For more information, please contact:

Dale Keller
Chief Executive Officer
Email: press@hcva.co.uk
Phone: 07740 174 815