By Andrew Brock
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
If you or someone you know is looking for a car right now, you might notice that the prices seem higher than normal. These price hikes are especially noticeable in the state of Maryland, due to the expected tariffs on imports of cars and car parts.
These tariffs have led to price rises of thousands of dollars, especially at foreign car dealerships.
“Since the market for vehicles has changed drastically and with the upcoming tariffs, car prices are expected to rise anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000,” according to Jacky Keohanam, a Mazda car salesman located in Maryland.
The tariffs are impacting more than just the cars themselves. According to a WMAR article, getting a title for your car will now cost twice as much as before. There will also be an increase in getting your car registration and inspection done. Another new fee will be adding $5 to your total when you buy a new tire.
The last increase has to do with the vehicle excise tax, which is a separate tax on the car’s value, and in Maryland, that tax is expected to increase from 6% to 6.35% from July 1.
With these tariffs, Marylanders are expected to pay these high prices on cars and car parts for quite a while. And because car parts are also included in these tariffs, even if consumers are not in the market for a car right now, they might still be affected in case of a car repair or an inspection.
Even though the tariffs were just put into place back on April 2, their impact is already being seen with regards to people going out to the dealership and purchasing a car.
“People are holding onto their money as the future is still unknown,” said Keohanam. “Some people are buying cars, so they don’t have to pay the tariff prices.”
* Headline and created with the help of Microsoft 365 Copilot