Recent developments at the federal level signal meaningful progress toward potential tariff refunds that may impact ABPA members. A newly filed declaration from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirms that the agency is actively building a system to process refunds of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). What This Means CBP is Read more…
Recent court rulings and federal agency actions have raised new questions about whether importers may be able to recover tariffs previously paid on imported goods. The ABPA is monitoring these developments closely as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) works to establish a formal refund process for affected importers.¹ For companies in the automotive collision repair parts Read more…
Washington, D.C. — February 18, 2026 — The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) yesterday submitted formal public-interest comments to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in response to General Motors’ Section 337 complaint seeking broad exclusion orders on aftermarket collision repair parts. The submission warns that the remedies requested by GM would raise repair costs, increase insurance Read more…
On February 16, 2026, the ABPA submitted opposition to Iowa Senate Study Bill 3154 (2026), which establishes materially different standards for first-party and third-party claims that risk steering outcomes based on statutory preference rather than consumer choice. First-party claims are directed toward aftermarket parts priced within a rigid geographic radius, while third-party claims default to new OEM Read more…
On February 12, 2026, the ABPA submitted opposition to Utah House Bill 119 (2026), which would impose new statutory language and disclosure requirements that single out non-OEM crash parts in a manner that is misleading, discriminatory, and economically harmful. While framed as a consumer protection measure, the bill instead undermines consumer choice, restricts market competition, and increases Read more…
The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) has joined a broad coalition of U.S. trade associations in signing a February 10, 2026 letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce raising concerns about the current implementation of Section 232 tariffs. This letter builds on previous multi-association correspondence that ABPA also signed onto in 2025, continuing a consistent call for Read more…
The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) is providing this update to inform industry stakeholders of recent developments related to General Motors’ ongoing design patent enforcement efforts. Over the past week, GM has significantly expanded its legal strategy by filing multiple lawsuits in federal court and submitting a complaint to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) under Section Read more…
The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) joined 30 other national trade associations in submitting comments to the Office of Management and Budget regarding the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Section 232 tariff inclusion process for steel and aluminum derivative products. The coalition raised concerns that the current process places significant compliance burdens on U.S. importers while providing limited Read more…
The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) has joined a coalition of industry groups in signing a letter to the U.S. Commerce Department regarding recent changes to the Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs. The letter, organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, raises concerns about the expanded “inclusions process,” which now applies tariffs to hundreds of additional Read more…
The collision repair ecosystem is already feeling the first ripple effects of the tariffs on imported vehicles, steel, aluminum and—crucially—many popular replacement parts. In my recent commentary, “Tariffs, Costs, and Consequences — A New Chapter in the Aftermarket Story,” I argued that these trade measures risk driving up repair costs, accelerating total losses and squeezing consumers who depend on Read more…
