Detroit – as president Donald Trump It threatens more Increased definitions on American commercial partnersThe largest impact of the auto industry outside North America will be the additional fees on South Korea and Japan.

East Asian countries produced 16.8 % of the vehicles that were sold last year in the United States, including 8.6 % of South Korea and 8.2 % of Japan, according to the data provided to CNBC by Globaldata.

They were the largest importer of the United States for the United States outside Mexico – and they do not have a few duties or no compared to a 25 % tariff that threatened Trump Imposed on Canada and Mexico.

Car manufacturers like General Motors And South Korea is based Hyundai Motor Exporting vehicles free from South Korea. The country exceeded Japan and Canada last year to become the second largest source of new cars for the United States, based on sales.

It only follows Mexico, which represented 16.2 % of US car sales in 2024, according to Globaldata reports.

“It is clear that Hyundai has a huge amount of exposure. Behind him is General Motors … with relatively large models,” said Jeff Schuster, Global Vice President of Automobile Research at Global Data. “There are a lot of risks that are likely to be here, but they are really limited, limited, on these two players.”

Imports from Japan are currently undergoing a 2.5 % tariff for auto manufacturers such as Toyota is an engineand Nissan engine and Honda Motor. Vehicles from Japan represented about 1.31 million cars that were sold last year in the United States

The sales percentage in Japan has already decreased in recent years, while South Korea’s exports and sales continued to rise from less than 845,000 in 2019 to more than 1.37 million in 2024.

South Korea has a 0 % on cars despite the re -negotiation of Trump a trade agreement with the country during his first term in 2018. This agreement was described to improve vehicle imports to South Korea, but he did little to address vehicle exports to the United States

The deal did little to increase car exports to South Korea, according to data from International Trade Committee. American passenger vehicle exports to South Korea decreased by approximately 16 %.

Separate from cars, definitions on trucks exported from South Korea and Japan to the United States, as well as anywhere else, are 25 %.

The tariff is a tax on imports, or foreign goods, which have been brought to the United States. Companies that import goods pay definitions, and some experts fear that companies simply pass any additional costs for consumers – raising the cost of vehicles and the demand decreases.

South Korea -based Hyundai is the largest source of cars to the United States, followed by General Motors and Kia Corp, which is part of Hyundai that works separately in the United States to a large extent largely

General Motors has significantly increased its imports from South Korea in recent years. Its sales in the United States of South Korea’s vehicles increased to a large number of junior models-from 173,000 in 2019 to more than 407,000 last year, according to Global Data.

General Motors is the largest direct foreign investor in the manufacturing industry in Korea, according to Auto industry site. 9 trillion from South Korea has invested (about 6.2 billion dollars) since the creation of operations in 2002.

General Motors produces it Buick Encore GX and Buick Envista Transitions, as well as Chevrolet Trail Plaser and Chevrolet Trax, in plants in South Korea. The company described the vehicles as a summit for the profitable growth of the auto industry in the lower and novice vehicles.

“We are taking the costs of programs, good profitability and creation of compounds that customers love, such as the new Chevy Trax and Buick Envista,” said General Motors Mark Ross during the company. Investor Day in October. “TRAX and Envista helped raise our share of the US Small SUV market to the highest level since 2007.”

Hyundai did not respond immediately when asked about the potential definitions of South Korea. General Motors and Kia refused to comment.

Terins -Lao, Dean of the Law Faculty at the University of Siraches, who previously worked as a commercial expert Ford MotorHe said the auto industry is based on free trade. If the customs tariff is performed, the industry can be modified, but it takes time.

He said: “The auto industry can adapt to anything. In fact, you can always make a product that customers want to buy, because personal movement and transportation is a human need all over the world.” “What the car industry cannot do well is the axis of ten cents.”

Lao has argued that a two -digit tariff could be a “inconvenience”, but as soon as it reaches 10 % or more, when additional costs in eating in the margin or products can begin.

Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley argued last week that if Trump would implement the definitions that affect the auto industry, he must have that Take a “comprehensive” look In all countries even on the field in North America.

Farley Toyota and Hyundai are devoted to importing hundreds of thousands of vehicles annually from Japan and South Korea, respectively.

“There are millions of vehicles coming to our country that are not applied to this [incremental tariffs]Farley said during the fourth company profit call with investors. “So if we have a tariff policy … it is better to be comprehensive for our industry.

“We can not only choose one or another place because this is a reward for our import competitors.”

The White House did not respond to the possible definitions of South Korea.

Trump on Thursday A presidential note signed He set his plan to impose a “mutual tariff” on foreign countries, but it has not been taken into account in terms of countries that could target.

As a presidential candidate, Trump put forward the possibility of imposing a comprehensive tariff on all American imports. But he called for Congress to pass what he called.Trump’s mutual trade law,“Which would enable it to slap the customs tariff on the goods of any country with a higher tariff for the goods made by the United States.

CNBC Kevin Brioninger He contributed to this report.