Surcharges have consumers moving fast

Allan Cheng, an auto dealer in Los Angeles, recently put up a post on social media informing his customers that due to the recent big fluctuations in vehicle prices and inventory, they would no longer be able to provide a unified quotation reference as they had in the past.

"We expect the cost of vehicles from at least 20 brands to increase by anywhere from $4,000 to $12,500 due to the tariffs," Cheng told China Daily.

The new tariffs, announced by US President Donald Trump last Wednesday, have hit foreign-made cars and light-duty trucks. The 25 percent tariff on all imported vehicles took effect on Thursday.