New Tariff Developments: What RV Industry Association Members Need To Know

2/3/25 5:00 PM ET Update: Following President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s conversation, Trudeau has announced on X that the proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days. President Trump released a statement shortly after, confirming the details. According to Trudeau, Canada will be implementing a $1.3 billion border plan, appointing a “Fentanyl Czar,” and launching a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl.

2/3/25 Noon Update: On February 3, 2025, President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that they have reached a series of agreements and that the tariffs on Mexico will be put on hold for one month, which we believe will include the de minimis exclusion as well.

Canada announced its plan for retaliatory tariffs, which will occur in phases. While RVs are not included in the first phase, the second phase, which will take effect after a 21-day comment period, specifically includes “recreational vehicles” in the product list currently available. The RV Industry Association is working with our Canadian partners to file comments in support of excluding RVs from the Canadian retaliatory tariffs. 

President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were scheduled to speak on February 3 at 3:00 pm EST. This article will be updated with any developments.

View the White House's FAQ on the tariffs here. 

Tariffs Imposed on Canada, Mexico, and China

On February 1, 2025, President Donald Trump signed three Executive Orders (EO) implementing new tariffs, effective on Tuesday, February 4. The tariffs target imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, and are aimed to address concerns over illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking.

The tariffs announced were issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), reflecting a significant shift in U.S. trade and national security policy. IEEPA, enacted in 1977, provides the president with extensive powers to address national emergencies—but has never been used to impose tariffs.

Specifically, President Trump is imposing a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada, as well as an additional 10% tariff on goods from China. The Trump administration has implemented these tariffs as a punitive measure in response to the illegal fentanyl sourced from these countries and distributed into the United States and, in the case of Mexico, illegal immigration. 

The new tariffs target all products from Canada and Mexico, with 25% tariff applied to all products except energy resources from Canada. Canadian goods related to energy or energy resources will be subject to a 10% tariff. The term “energy resources” was defined in a past Executive Order as “crude oil, natural gas, lease condensates, natural gas liquids, refined petroleum products, uranium, coal, biofuels, geothermal heat, hydropower and critical minerals.” 

The Executive Orders also include a retaliation clause, establishing that President Trump may choose to increase or expand the scope of the duties should any country retaliate against the United States with its own tariff action. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that they were prepared to respond in kind, before reaching a deal with President Trump to delay the tariffs on February 3. Canada has responded aggressively to these actions, releasing two lists of products that will be targeted with retaliatory tariffs. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with provincial premiers on the Canada–U.S. relationship and promised a “purposeful, forceful, but reasonable, immediate response.” In fact, Canada is already moving forward with retaliatory tariffs as described below.

Important implementation details include the following:

• The newly imposed tariffs will go into effect through modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTSUS), which is expected prior to February 4, 2025 –the effective date of the tariffs.  
• The tariff actions will not apply to goods that are currently in transit. Specifically, goods “loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading or in transit on the final mode of transport prior to entry into the United States before 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on February 1, 2025,” are exempt from the tariff actions. 
• There is no set end date for the new tariff actions. The official fact sheet specifically states that the actions “will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country.” At this time, there is no mechanism announced for any exceptions or exclusion process. 
• Imports cannot benefit from duty-free treatment under U.S. de minimis rules ($800 in value) or duty drawback. 
• U.S. Foreign trade zones must admit impacted merchandise as “privileged foreign status” unless eligible for “domestic status.”

For China and Canada, the tariffs will take effect Tuesday, February 4 at 12:01 a.m. EST, but goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, after such time that were loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading or in transit on the final mode of transport prior to entry into the United States before 12:01 a.m. EST on February 1 will not be impacted. U.S. Foreign trade zones must admit impacted merchandise as “privileged foreign status” unless eligible for “domestic status.”

Because the action was taken under IEEPA, they apply at ad valorem rate and are owed in addition to normal duties and any applicable Section 201, 232, and 301 duties or antidumping/countervailing tariffs. The new tariffs also apply to USMCA-qualifying merchandise as well as products eligible for specific product exclusions.

Retaliatory Tariffs

CANADA

On February, 1, 2025, following the Executive Orders, Canada announced that it will move forward with a 25% tariff on $155 billion worth of goods. The response will take place in phases. RVs are impacted by Phase 2. We are seeking clarity on when that 21-day period begins. 

• Phase 1: The initial phase targets $30 billion in goods imported from the United States, effective February 4. The list includes products such as orange juice, peanut butter, wine, spirits, beer, coffee, appliances, apparel, footwear, motorcycles, cosmetics, pulp, and paper. A full list will be made available “shortly.”
• Phase 2: Canadian Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc announced that the Canadian government intends to impose tariffs on an additional list of imported U.S. goods worth $125 billion. A full list of these goods will be made available for a 21-day public comment period prior to implementation. This list includes products such as passenger vehicles and trucks, including electric vehicles, steel and aluminum products, certain fruits and vegetables, aerospace products, beef, pork, dairy, trucks and buses, recreational vehicles, and recreational boats.

The Canadian government has reiterated that all options remain on the table as they consider additional measures, including non-tariff options.

CHINA

As of this writing, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce has not mentioned retaliatory tariffs or other specific measures, but said it would file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization and enact “necessary countermeasures.”

MEXICO

As of February 3, President Trump and Mexican President Sheinbaum have agreed to a month-long pause on the implementation of the tariffs. This deal includes Mexico sending 10,000 troops to the border to help control the flow of drugs into the United States.

Previously, President Claudia Sheinbaum had also ordered retaliatory tariffs, alluding to a “plan B” including tariff and non-tariff measures. The details of that plan were not announced before the deal, with President Sheinbaum posting to X to say they were seeking dialogue rather than confrontation.

What’s Next?

The RV Industry Association is closely monitoring these developments and advocating for trade policies that support our industry. The Government Affairs team has been communicating with the Office of the United States Trade Representative and members of the RV Caucus.

Additionally, we are working with our Canadian partners to file comments in support of excluding RVs from the Canadian retaliatory tariffs. We encourage RV Industry Association members to stay informed and engaged as discussions unfold. We will continue to provide updates as more details emerge.

The official White House fact sheet is available here. Please contact Samantha Rocci, Director of Federal Affairs, at srocci@rvia.org with any questions.