By SEMA Editors

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has established a process for requesting a product exclusion from tariffs, which increased from 10% to 25% on May 10, 2019, and were imposed on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. The so-called “List 3” group of Chinese imports includes many auto parts, from engines and metal fasteners to tires, steering wheel components, rubber gaskets, transmission belts, brake pads, windshields and suspension springs.

The process for requesting an exclusion won’t begin until on or around June 30, but the USTR has published details on preparing requests for particular products classified within a covered tariff subheading.

The USTR estimates that it will receive 60,000 requests. If a request is granted, it will apply to all imported products within the tariff subheading, not just the company making the request. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org. 

By SEMA Editors

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has established a process for requesting a product exclusion from tariffs, which increased from 10% to 25% on May 10, 2019, and were imposed on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. The so-called “List 3” group of Chinese imports includes many auto parts, from engines and metal fasteners to tires, steering wheel components, rubber gaskets, transmission belts, brake pads, windshields and suspension springs.

The process for requesting an exclusion won’t begin until on or around June 30, but the USTR has published details on preparing requests for particular products classified within a covered tariff subheading.

The USTR estimates that it will receive 60,000 requests. If a request is granted, it will apply to all imported products within the tariff subheading, not just the company making the request. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org. 

By SEMA Editors

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has established a process for requesting a product exclusion from tariffs, which increased from 10% to 25% on May 10, 2019, and were imposed on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. The so-called “List 3” group of Chinese imports includes many auto parts, from engines and metal fasteners to tires, steering wheel components, rubber gaskets, transmission belts, brake pads, windshields and suspension springs.

The process for requesting an exclusion won’t begin until on or around June 30, but the USTR has published details on preparing requests for particular products classified within a covered tariff subheading.

The USTR estimates that it will receive 60,000 requests. If a request is granted, it will apply to all imported products within the tariff subheading, not just the company making the request. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org. 

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Rich Willhoff edged out Austin Barnes and Jordan Priestley for the Late Model Grand Champion title in a hard-fought battle by just an eight-point span between the three podium finishers.

Holley LS Fest West 2019 Event Recap and Results

Holley’s all-LS Fest West party took place earlier this month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, featuring 1,000 cars and 17,000 enthusiasts. LS Fest veteran Rich Willhoff edged out Austin Barnes and Jordan Priestley for the Late Model Grand Champion title in a hard-fought battle by just an eight-point span between the three podium finishers. Willhoff came out on top with 399 points and won two of the four categories (Autocross and 3S Challenge), and Barnes won the other two (Road Course and Drag Race).

Mike Dusold won several of the Grand Champion disciplines outright—Autocross, Road Course, 3S Challenge and even Drag Race—where no car was within half a second of his twin-turbocharged ’67 Camaro. Dusold won the Vintage Grand Champion title with a total of 401 points, building quite a margin over second-place Nick Relampagos, who racked up 363 points with his ’70 Camaro. Joining them on the podium was Greg Thurmond, who collected 354 points to edge out Robby Unser and Matt Alcala for third in the final standings.

David Carroll drove to the LS Fest West Truck Grand Champion crown with a strong showing in all four disciplines—Autocross, 3S Challenge, road course and drag racing. He won two of the events, and in the two he didn’t win he placed second over the biggest field of trucks to date. Pat Sheely was relatively close to Carroll in second place (14 points back, 243 to 229) and Rob Phillips took third. All three drove Chevy C10 pickups—Carroll a ’74, Sheely a ’59 and Phillips a ’72.

Visit Holley’s website for full results.

Steve Torrence walked away with his 30th Top Fuel victory in his Capco Contractors dragster with his run of 3.881 seconds at 319.82 mph to defeat Antron Brown’s 3.899 at 309.49 in the final round.

Torrence, Capps, Butner and Hines Win at Virginia NHRA Nationals

Defending Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence secured his second consecutive victory at the Virginia NHRA Nationals and third of the season last Sunday evening at Virginia Motorsports Park. Ron Capps (Funny Car), Bo Butner (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also winners in their respective categories at the eighth of 24 events during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Torrence walked away with his 30th Top Fuel victory in his Capco Contractors dragster with his run of 3.881 seconds at 319.82 mph to defeat Antron Brown’s 3.899 at 309.49 in the final round. Capps secured his second consecutive Funny Car Wally in his NAPA Brakes Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to defeat the defending world champion J.R. Todd in the finals. Butner locked in his fourth win this season when his pass of 6.599 at 209.01 in his Jim Butner Auto Chevrolet Camaro took down Greg Anderson. Butner also went to the final round of the SAMTech.Edu Factory Stock Showdown where he fell short to Drew Skillman on a holeshot. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hines, the No. 1 qualifier, earned his third straight victory after going 6.845 at 195.68 on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Street Rod to defeat teammate Eddie Krawiec in the final round. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues to Chicago for the Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, May 30–June 2.

Despite Vinny Palazzolo running a quicker 4.41 at 161 mph, he couldn’t catch the 4.48 at 160 mph from Phil Hines’ ProCharger-fed ’01 Mustang before the finish line first, giving Hines the win.

Race Wrap: Inaugural NMRA Gateway Rumble Presented by HPJ Performance 

VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw: Vinny Palazzolo and his turbocharged ’09 GT500 met Phil Hines in the final round, and despite Palazzolo running a quicker 4.41 at 161 mph, he couldn’t catch the 4.48 at 160 mph from Hines’ ProCharger-fed ’01 Mustang before the finish line first, giving Hines the win.

Edelbrock Renegade: Haley James and her boosted Hellion B-Team Fox body Mustang faced off in the final round with the ’03 Cobra of Keith Ciborowski, where James’ performance advantage gave her a sizable lead and her second win of the year thanks to a 4.83 at 147.91 mph, getting the nod over a 5.01 at 141 mph from Ciborowski.

ProCharger Modified Street: Martin Connelley faced Brad Schehr and his ’89 Mustang in the final. What could have been an all-seven-second final-round bout fizzled when Schehr ran into problems, slowing to a 10-second run that fell to the 8.01 at 165 mph from Connelley’s turbocharged ’86 Mustang.

Advanced Fuel Dynamics Limited Street: Michael Lewandowski advanced his ’79 Mustang to face Sondra Leslie’s ’85 model in the title bout, where Leslie’s 7-hundredths better reaction time combined with an 8.80 at 154 mph held off the 8.77 at 154-mph charge of Lewandowski, giving Leslie her first win of the season.

G-Force Racing Transmissions Coyote Stock: Jacob Lamb moved his ’86 Mustang to the final round to face the ’93 Cobra of Darin Hendricks. Both cars rolled deep in the staging beams, and the move turned up a red light for Hendricks, giving Lamb a 10.40 at 129 mph ride to victory and a trip to the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle.

Richmond Gear Factory Stock: Dan Ryntz and his ’89 Mustang advanced to the final to face the blue ’79 Mustang of Bryan Gardner. The final was all Ryntz, getting the holeshot over Gardner and stretching the advantage to the finish line where the scoreboards confirmed the win was his via a 10.38 to 10.49 count over Gardner.

Exedy Racing Clutch Modular Muscle: The final round matched defending class champ Jason Henson and his ’03 Mach 1 Mustang against Susan Roush-McClenaghan. A close double breakout result found Roush-McClenaghan’s ’10 Mustang the victor, as her .006-under 9.444 just edged out the .01-under 12.06 from Henson.

ARP Open Comp: Gordon Harlow advanced to the final round to face off with Dennis Corn. At the green, Harlow’s Mustang left first on the 10.12 to 9.32 index handicap difference, but a .06-under 10.06 breakout pass from Harlow meant the .01-above 9.33 of Corn got his ’88 Thunderbird the win.

Detroit Locker Truck & Lightning: The turbocharged ’01 Lightning of Bob Dill met Mike Roup and his ’70 Ranchero in the final, where Roup emerged victorious when he posted an .08-over 11.32 to best the .12-over 9.56 of Dill.

ROUSH Performance Super Stang: Bobby Barrick met Robert Ball and his ’15 Mustang in the final round, and a big holeshot for Ball paid off in a double breakout finish when Ball was the less offensive with a .06-under 10.74 pass getting the win over Barrick’s .16-under 11.64 run from his ’13 Mustang.

Race Star Wheels Ford Muscle: Bryan Parker in his ’68 Mustang fastback used a holeshot-aided .03-over 11.53 to turn away the closer .02-over 10.52 of Clyde Dunphy for the win.

QA1 True Street: Randy Thomas and his ’10 Shelby Mustang stood atop the field courtesy of an 8.60 average to score the Edelbrock Victor trophy. Troy Eaton was the runner-up thanks to a 9.95 average, Bill Unkel scored the 9-second hardware with a 9.75, a near-perfect 10.001 average meant the 10-second title went to Rick Baun, and Trevor Thome picked up the 11-second hardware. Mike Baker was the 12-second winner, Robert Conwell earned the 13-second plaque, the best of the 14-second group was Eddie Schoenfeld, and Mason Blosser rounded out the winners with the 15-second title.

Randy Thomas made his way to the final round to match up with number-two qualifier Troy Eaton and his turbocharged ’89 Mustang. Thomas crossed the finish line first in his ’10 Shelby, but his 8.43 pass proved too quick for his NHRA safety limit of 8.50, and the resulting disqualification gave the win to Eaton, who clocked a 9.07 at 160 mph blast.

NMRA Bracket One: Greg Rice, piloting a ’15 Profab-built dragster, scored the win last Saturday afternoon over NMRA Modular Muscle-racer Charlie McCulloch. Rice repeated the feat on Sunday, turning back Caileb Beaird in an all-dragster final to earn a pair of Edelbrock Victor trophies for his efforts.

Bracket Two: A -.001 red light from Jeffery Whitaker meant John Westhoff’s ’82 Capri got the win. On Sunday, Whitaker got a win over Bob Westhoff for the accolades.

Bracket Three: Bret Kepner scored a holeshot-aided victory over Ralph Beaver. Sunday pitted Aaron Worstell against Paul Kluesner, and a better reaction time paved the way to victory for Worstell.

The next stop on the 2019 NMRA schedule is Pennsylvania’s-own Maple Grove Raceway, home to the 19thAnnual NMRA Ford Motorsport Nationals, contested June 27–30.

Falken Tires took home first and second place in the 4500 Class and then did it again in the 4600 Class at the ULTRA4 race held last weekend outside San Felipe, Mexico.

Falken Tires Takes Home First- and Second-Place Hardware in Two Classes at ULTRA4 Mexico Race

Falken Tires took home first and second place in the 4500 Class and then did it again in the 4600 Class at the ULTRA4 race held last weekend outside San Felipe, Mexico. The “El Rey de Las Bajas” race was the first time the ULTRA4 series competed in Mexico, and featured four laps covering 88 miles. Team Falken veteran Dan Fresh of SAVVY Off-Road took first in the 4500 Class, finishing 16 minutes ahead of second-place Falken driver Shawn Rants of Mudd Nutt Racing, despite breaking a rear brake line. In the 4600 Class, Team Falken’s Josh Atteberry of Kracker Fab took first, running just eight minutes ahead of second-place finisher Falken’s Dawson Allington of Baby Jeep Racing. According to ULTRA4 Racing management, every racer who completed the course in a designated time, regardless of class, earned an invite to the association’s halo event, King of the Hammers 2020. Additionally, winners of each class also received a free entry to Ridgecrest, California, September 13. Next on ULTRA4 Racing’s schedule is an East Coast event June 14 at the Cross Bar Ranch in Davis, Oklahoma.  

Permatex will provide the gasket makers for all vehicles competing in Formula DRIFT’s nine races during the 2019 season.

Permatex Named the Official Gasket Maker of Formula DRIFT

Permatex has been named the official gasket maker of Formula DRIFT. Permatex will provide the gasket makers for all vehicles competing in Formula DRIFT’s nine races during the 2019 season. The company also served as the presenting sponsor for the first Formula DRIFT race of the season, the O’Reilly Auto Parts RD1: the “Streets of Long Beach,” in Long Beach, California, last month. The 2018 season marked Formula DRIFT’s 15th year of competition, and the 2019 season will see races held in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Washington, Missouri and Texas.

For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website. 

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Bob Klimm

Falken Tires Promotes Bob Klimm to Director of Sales, Commercial Division

Veteran Falken sales executive Bob Klimm has been promoted to director of sales, commercial division, effectively immediately. Klimm moves from truck and bus radial (TBR) division manager into the director role for the North American market, where he will lead the company’s commercial tire growth. The Dallas native was responsible for establishing Falken’s entry into the TBR business. Led by Klimm, Falken has expanded its commercial sales efforts and allowed it to reach new customers and gain market share.

Grand-prize winner of the 2019 FutureTechs Rock Awards, Jonathon Miranda (pictured middle) volunteers as a judge with Hot Rodders of Tomorrow engine-build competition.

Jonathon Miranda Named FutureTechs Rock Awards Grand Prize Winner

The TechForce Foundation announced that the 2019 FutureTechs Rock Awards Grand Prize Winner is Jonathon Miranda, an automotive student attending Ohio Technical College. The FutureTech Rock Awards recognize and celebrate students’ commitment to and passion for the technician profession and the transportation industry. According to the foundation, Miranda maintained perfect attendance, achieved honor roll six times, and earned all A’s in his associate-degree academic classes, which were separate from his technical coursework. He is a member of his school’s Student Leadership Council, and he also volunteers as a judge with Hot Rodders of Tomorrow (at the SEMA Show), and as lead judge for Piston Power Show’s high school engine-building competition. As the grand-prize winner, Miranda has his choice of a $1,000 TechForce Foundation tuition scholarship to apply towards his post-secondary technician education or a sponsored Snap-on tool voucher of equal value.

To learn more about the 2019 FutureTechs Rock Awards, visit www.TechForceFoundation.org/FutureTechsRock.

Turn 14 Distribution Hosting Third Annual Car Meet June 15

Turn 14 Distribution will host its Third Annual Car Meet, presented by KW Suspensions, June 15, from 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., at the company’s 272,000 sq.-ft. distribution center, located at 3035 Campus Dr., Hatfield, PA. In collaboration with event promoter Canibeat, the event will feature a variety of modified vehicles of all makes and models, for both the street and track. For 2019, Turn 14 Distribution has introduced preregistration for those who wish to participate in the car show portion of the event. Entrants will have the chance to win an award in one of five categories: Modern Performance, Domestic Performance, European Performance, Truck & Off-Road, and Overall Best in Show.

Turn 14 Distribution has enlisted assistance from vendor partners across all market segments, including Air Lift, Akrapovič, AWE Tuning, BBS Wheels, BMR Suspension, Edelbrock, fifteen52, Fleece Performance, FOX Factory Inc., KW Suspensions, LUND, Mackin Industries, Manley Performance, Mishimoto, Rolling Big Power, Vibrant Performance, and Wilwood Engineering. The midway displays will include local and regional performance shops and retailers, including Crown SpeedLab, Gear One Performance, R/T Tuning, and Subimods. The meet is open to the public, free to enter and all are welcome to attend.

Nexen Tire America Inc. has partnered with The Purple Heart Foundation for a second time to honor a combat-wounded veteran and Purple Heart recipient by giving away a custom ’20 Jeep Gladiator Sport S.

Nexen Tire America, Purple Heart Foundation Team Up for Second Time to Honor Combat-Wounded Veteran With ’20 Jeep Gladiator Giveaway

In the wake of last year’s “American Muscle for American Heroes” program, Nexen Tire America Inc. has partnered with The Purple Heart Foundation for a second time to honor a combat-wounded veteran and Purple Heart recipient by giving away a custom ’20 Jeep Gladiator Sport S. The “Nexen Hero” campaign is designed to honor a well-deserving veteran who was wounded in combat and awarded the Purple Heart Medal by giving away a new Jeep Gladiator equipped with 35-in. Nexen Roadian MTX Extreme Off-Road Mud Terrain tires and several MOPAR aftermarket parts. The campaign began May 15, and the winning recipient, who will be selected by the Purple Heart Foundation, will be announced on National Purple Heart Day, August 7. The program is designed to help bring awareness to the Purple Heart Medal and its recipients to ensure their devotion to the nation does not go unnoticed.

The Jeep Gladiator, which is being customized by Kenny Pfitzer of Zero to 60 Designs in Corona, California, will feature several MOPAR aftermarket parts and other customizations, in addition to one-of-a-kind Nexen Tire and Purple Heart graphics. The nomination period runs until July 24. Nominees must be a member of Military Order of The Purple Heart, and the Jeep Gladiator recipient will be selected by members of the Purple Heart Foundation based on a variety of factors, including heroism, sacrifice and an ongoing commitment to their community. Visit Nexen Tire America’s website to nominate a Purple Heart recipient and for official giveaway rules.

Rugged Ridge plans to take on the eastern and western show circuits with a Volvo VN cab with a 50-ft. trailer, which features a custom wrap showcasing the company’s updated modern Rugged Ridge logo and “Your Jeep. Your Adventure.” slogan.

Rugged Ridge Unveils New Event Trailer to Support Attendance at Off-Road Events and Shows Nationwide

Rugged Ridge has announced it will attend 10 more off-road events and shows nationwide this year: 

• May 25–26: JeepQuest Expo, Sevierville, Tennessee
• May 31–June 2: Silver Lake Jeep Invasion, Silver Lake, Michigan
• June 7–9: Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
• June 14–16: NJ Jeep Invasion, Wildwood, New Jersey
• August 9–11: Toledo Jeep Fest, Toledo, Ohio
• August 16–18: Muddy Buddy Jeep Jam, Wilmington, Ohio
• August 23–24: Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
• Aug 29–September 1: Sheriff’s Jeep Fest, Jasper, Georgia
• September 21: Annual Jeep Bash, Huntington Beach, California
• September 28–29: Off Road Expo, Pomona, California

The company also added an additional trailer to its fleet of show vehicles to support the Rugged Ridge team and their customers at industry events across the country. The company has already participated in a number of major events across the United States in 2019, including Myrtle Beach Jeep Jam, Easter Jeep Safari and Jeep Beach. The company’s newly expanded fleet will help to display new products and accessories at future Jeep events nationwide. Rugged Ridge plans to take on the eastern show circuit with a Volvo VN cab with a 50-ft. trailer, which features a custom wrap showcasing the company’s updated modern Rugged Ridge logo and “Your Jeep. Your Adventure.” slogan. Also emblazoned on the trailer is one of the company’s current flagships—an ’18 Jeep Wrangler JL. Rugged Ridge will also tackle the western show circuit with a similarly embellished 53-ft. custom tri-axle trailer featuring the updated Rugged Ridge livery.

Emily Poladian	Mary Kay Bryja

Firestone Industrial Products Announces New President

Firestone Industrial Products Company LLC (FSIP) has announced that Emily Poladian, former director of fleet sales, truck, bus and retread tires (TBR), has been named president, FSIP. Poladian succeeds Craig Schneider, who has been appointed president, diversified products for Bridgestone Americas. In addition, the company named Mary Kay Bryja, former manager, marketing as director, Ride-Ride, FSIP, in a strategic move to appoint employees to new leadership roles based on their expertise and vision for the business moving forward. As president, Poladian will oversee all aspects of the FSIP business, including management of the more than 1,500 employees around the world. She brings more than 20 years of experience in the industrial products industry to the role, having previously served as managing director, Asia strategic business unit (SBU), FSIP. Poladian first joined the business in 1995 as a product engineer, and quickly rose to roles of increasing responsibility, including global manager of strategic planning, FSIP.

As director, Ride-Rite, FSIP, Bryja will lead marketing and sales initiatives for the Ride-Rite business in addition to identifying growth opportunities. She also oversees engineering initiatives for the business. Bryja joined Bridgestone in 2013, playing an important role in building brand and category awareness on the global scale.

OTC DAIHEN Inc. Announces Executive Management Change

OTC DAIHEN Inc. has announced the promotion and appointment of Shinsuke “Luke” Kadota as president and CEO. Kadota replaces Masanobu Uchida, who is returning to Japan to become the executive managing director of KYUHEN Co. Inc. (a subsidiary of DAIHEN Corp.).

Doug Frakes

Stertil-Koni Hires Doug Frakes as Operations Specialist

Stertil-Koni has announced that Doug Frakes has joined the company as an operations specialist. He will succeed Paul Marks, who announced his retirement from Stertil-Koni after 21 years of service to the company. In his new post, Frakes will work closely with a broad range of audiences, chiefly the company’s North American distributor network, sales personnel and Stertil-Koni manufacturing locations in the United States and Europe. His prime mission is to process and ship vehicle lift equipment and accessory orders to distributors and customers across North America. Prior to joining Stertil-Koni, Frakes worked for 10 years at FedEx Ground in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. During his tenure, he managed ground operations and new processes implementation, including inbound and outbound sort management and pickup and delivery management operations. Frakes was also responsible for the training and supervision of operations managers and administrators, executing analyses of operational metrics and overseeing compliance with governing regulatory agencies

Air Lift Co. Named Elite in Communication and Shared Vision at Best & Brightest Companies to Work for Gala

Air Lift Co. has announced it has been selected as one of “West Michigan’s Best & Brightest Companies to Work For” for the third year in a row. Air Lift Co. representatives attended the “West Michigan’s Best & Brightest Companies to Work For” gala and awards program, May 7, at the JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids, where the company received an Elite Award for excellence in Communication and Shared Vision. The “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” program provides members of the business community with the opportunity to gain recognition, showcase their best practices and demonstrate why they are an ideal place for their current and future employees to work. All entries were evaluated by an independent research firm, measured and compared based on various categories, including compensation, benefits and employee solutions; employee enrichment, engagement and retention; employee education and development; recruitment, selection and orientation; employee achievement and recognition; communication and shared vision; diversity and inclusion; work-life balance, community initiatives, and strategic company performance.

Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA eNews. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The United States and China have embarked on a trade war following a breakdown in negotiations. The 10% tariffs imposed last September on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports rose to 25% on May 10. However, the tariff hikes will not take effect until June 1 for products shipped before the May 10 deadline but still in transit to the United States.

The so-called “List 3” group of Chinese imports includes many auto parts, from engines and metal fasteners to tires, steering wheel components, rubber gaskets, transmission belts, brake pads, windshields and suspension springs. The Trump Administration had already imposed 25% tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports in July and August 2018. “List 1” and “List 2” goods include some miscellaneous metal and rubber parts for auto equipment, machinery, tools and measurement devices.

China had already imposed retaliatory tariffs in the amount of 5% and 10% on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods. Most of these levies will increase to 10%, 20% and 25% and include many agricultural products. The tariffs will stay at 5% for a few categories including vehicle parts.

U.S./Chinese negotiations continue despite the tariff wars, with the June 1 effective date allowing a little hope for a truce. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet at the G20 summit on June 28–29.

The trade talks were reportedly nearing completion until a disagreement on how to end the practice of forced technology transfers whereby U.S. companies are coerced into sharing technology trade secrets with their Chinese business partners. There is also a dispute on how to enforce the agreement, with the U.S. wanting to keep some tariffs in place for at least six months while compliance is demonstrated.

U.S. and Chinese officials are reportedly drafting six separate agreements covering agriculture, services, non-tariff barriers, currency, intellectual property rights and forced technology transfers and cybersecurity. If talks break down further, President Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on the remaining $325 billion worth of “List 4” Chinese products as soon as the end of June. Public comments on the List 4 tariffs are due June 17.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The United States and China have embarked on a trade war following a breakdown in negotiations. The 10% tariffs imposed last September on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports rose to 25% on May 10. However, the tariff hikes will not take effect until June 1 for products shipped before the May 10 deadline but still in transit to the United States.

The so-called “List 3” group of Chinese imports includes many auto parts, from engines and metal fasteners to tires, steering wheel components, rubber gaskets, transmission belts, brake pads, windshields and suspension springs. The Trump Administration had already imposed 25% tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports in July and August 2018. “List 1” and “List 2” goods include some miscellaneous metal and rubber parts for auto equipment, machinery, tools and measurement devices.

China had already imposed retaliatory tariffs in the amount of 5% and 10% on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods. Most of these levies will increase to 10%, 20% and 25% and include many agricultural products. The tariffs will stay at 5% for a few categories including vehicle parts.

U.S./Chinese negotiations continue despite the tariff wars, with the June 1 effective date allowing a little hope for a truce. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet at the G20 summit on June 28–29.

The trade talks were reportedly nearing completion until a disagreement on how to end the practice of forced technology transfers whereby U.S. companies are coerced into sharing technology trade secrets with their Chinese business partners. There is also a dispute on how to enforce the agreement, with the U.S. wanting to keep some tariffs in place for at least six months while compliance is demonstrated.

U.S. and Chinese officials are reportedly drafting six separate agreements covering agriculture, services, non-tariff barriers, currency, intellectual property rights and forced technology transfers and cybersecurity. If talks break down further, President Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on the remaining $325 billion worth of “List 4” Chinese products as soon as the end of June. Public comments on the List 4 tariffs are due June 17.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Legislation (H.B. 31) that would ease the process for registering a street rod in Delaware passed the legislature and now moves to Governor John Carney for approval.

Legislation (H.B. 31) that would ease the process for registering a street rod in Delaware passed the legislature and now moves to Governor John Carney for approval.

If passed, H.B. 31 would change the definition of a street rod from a vehicle manufactured before ’70 to a vehicle 25 years old or older. The bill also removes the requirement that a street rod’s tires be covered by fenders.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Legislation (H.B. 31) that would ease the process for registering a street rod in Delaware passed the legislature and now moves to Governor John Carney for approval.

Legislation (H.B. 31) that would ease the process for registering a street rod in Delaware passed the legislature and now moves to Governor John Carney for approval.

If passed, H.B. 31 would change the definition of a street rod from a vehicle manufactured before ’70 to a vehicle 25 years old or older. The bill also removes the requirement that a street rod’s tires be covered by fenders.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Legislation (H.B. 31) that would ease the process for registering a street rod in Delaware passed the legislature and now moves to Governor John Carney for approval.

Legislation (H.B. 31) that would ease the process for registering a street rod in Delaware passed the legislature and now moves to Governor John Carney for approval.

If passed, H.B. 31 would change the definition of a street rod from a vehicle manufactured before ’70 to a vehicle 25 years old or older. The bill also removes the requirement that a street rod’s tires be covered by fenders.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.