3 days ago
Bentley Stops Some Exports to the U.S., Keeps Pricing Steady for June
Bentley has halted imports to the U.S. on "stock" that would sit at dealerships waiting to be sold, a ccording to Automotive News.
Bentley will continue to import cars directly ordered by customers and said pricing for U.S. models is guaranteed to remain unchanged on orders placed through the end of June.
Bentley had around 378 vehicles left in its dealership stock at the beginning of June.
The tariffs implemented by the Trump administration have sown confusion and uncertainty in the automotive industry. Even after officials from the United States and the United Kingdom reached a trade agreement in early May, British automakers are unsure of where they stand. According to a report from Automotive News, Bentley has halted some exports to the U.S. while keeping its current pricing unchanged as it awaits further clarification on this trade agreement and what the tariffs mean for its business.
Starting on April 3, the U.S. began imposing a 25 percent tariff on imports of all light-duty vehicles. However, the trade agreement between the U.S. and U.K. will see that tariff reduced to 10 percent for the first 100,000 vehicles imported each year from the U.K. After those first 100,000 vehicles arrive, the 25 percent tariff will go back into action on vehicles shipped from the U.K. Prior to the Trump administration's 25 percent tariff, vehicles imported from the U.K. received a 2.5 percent tariff.
Bentley
In an interview with Automotive News, the CEO of Bentley Americas, Mike Rocco, said, "We are managing the tariff situation day to day," and that "every U.K. manufacturer is trying to understand the matter." The publication states that other Bentley officials confirmed at a media event in Montana that current pricing for U.S. models is guaranteed for orders placed through the end of June.
While orders directly placed by customers will continue to be brought over to the U.S. and delivered to customers, Bentley has stopped shipments of "stock" that would sit at dealerships and need to be sold. These vehicles are instead being held in the United Kingdom for the time being. According to Rocco, Bentley had around 378 vehicles in its U.S. dealership stock at the beginning of June.
U.K. automakers brought around 102,000 vehicles to the U.S. in 2024, AN said via the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Several automakers import vehicles from the U.K., including luxury specialists such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Land Rover, more affordable cars from Mini, and high-performance sports cars from Aston Martin and McLaren. Although the trade deal between the U.S. and U.K. purports to lower the impact of import tariffs relative to the 25 percent hit applied to cars from other countries, the details of how that cap of 100,000 vehicles will be allocated to different automakers remain unclear. It appears that Bentley's approach for the moment is to wait and see how things shake out.
Caleb Miller
Associate News Editor
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
