AMP (Aplus Molds & Plastics) molds automotive plastic components at our Tainan plant in southern Taiwan, and at Samut Prakan in Thailand. We supply OEM and Tier 1 buyers with bumpers, radiator grilles, door trim panels, blower units, oil pans and much more. For your 2027 sourcing, the tariff implications are important for your costings. Our automotive plastic components page covers the part ranges we have manufactured, in this article we will provide more information related to the tariff implications to help you make the right decision for your business.
The reciprocal tariffs imposed under IEEPA were removed and US Customs stopped collecting them on 24 February 2026. As of 29 September 2026, covered parts of Taiwan origin carry a combined rate of 15 percent, while the same parts made in China carry an additional 25 percent under Section 232 before any Section 301 duties are added. This is a significant difference that you will need to take into account as a part of your sourcing decision.
What US buyers will pay on Taiwan and China automotive plastic parts in 2027
Section 232 duties on automobile parts apply to all countries at 25 percent, and have done so since 3 May 2025 under heading 9903.94.05, as US Customs and Border Protection set out in its guidance to importers. The country of origin is not impacted by this rate, only separate agreements can achieve this.
Taiwan has such an agreement under the Trade and Security Agreement between the American Institute in Taiwan and TECRO (Taipei economic and cultural representative office), the US modified its treatment of qualifying Taiwan auto parts in a Federal Register notice published on 28 May 2026, applied retroactively to 1 May 2026. This effectively keeps the tariff rate for Taiwan origin products to 15%.
A China-origin part on the Section 232 list by comparison, carries the full 25 percent tariff, and the Section 301 duties on Chinese goods are then added it to this at whatever the current rate is. Which of the four USTR (United States Trade Representative office) tranches your product code is in determines that second rate.
| Taiwan | China | Thailand | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section 232 on covered parts | 15 percent combined ceiling | 25 percent additional | 25 percent additional |
| Section 301 | Not applicable | Applies, rate by USTR list | Not applicable |
| Negotiated agreement in force | Yes, AIT and TECRO, May 2026 | No | No |
| AMP site certified to IATF 16949 | Yes, to 30 April 2027 | No AMP site | Yes, to 7 July 2028 |
Rates as of 29 September 2026.
Confirm your HTS code before you calculate tariffs
The Section 232 parts list is a specific list of codes, and many of the molded items you think of as automotive parts are classified as accessories and may sit outside it so you should confirm this before creating your calculations.
IATF 16949 is certified by site, so read the scope on the certificate
Certification is not a country-level differentiator; a good many Chinese molders hold IATF 16949. Holding it proves nothing about the particular plant your parts will run in. What varies between suppliers is which of their sites hold a certificate, and what that certificate says those sites are certified to do.
Ours are certified separately, and the certificates are published in full. TÜV NORD CERT GmbH holds our Taiwan facility to IATF 16949:2016 from 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2027, and our Thailand facility from 8 July 2025 to 7 July 2028. Both certificates cover the manufacture of plastic injection products without product design responsibility.
Our Taiwan ISO 9001 certificate covers the design and manufacture of tooling, while the Thailand certificate covers molding alone. Tooling is a Taiwan capability, and we prefer that customers have a clear understanding of this before we start work on your project.
What you should ask for when qualifying a supplier
Ask for the certificate itself, not the logo on the website. Then read three lines on it: the site address, the scope statement, and the expiry date.
Most people do not check this thoroughly, and only verify the site is covered but don’t go on the verify the scope and date of the coverage, so it is worth reading this carefully to confirm what your supplier can provide.
Moving a tool out of China can take longer than expected
Our published mold lead times run 35 to 45 days for small molds under 285 tons, 45 to 60 days in the 350 to 600 ton class, and 55 to 80 days at 800 tons and above. We then trial the mold, prove it dimensionally and submit samples for your approval. Your own PPAP cycle follows those.
We machine most molds at our in house machine shop but we also have a list of certified facilities that assist us when necessary. You can read more about our machining capabilities on our in house tooling page. We verify mold components on a Mitutoyo CMM before assembly, and capture full-surface geometry on GOM ATOS 3D scanning down to 1 micron. Where a high-heat area needs it, we print inserts by SLM with conformal cooling channels. We fit, trial and dimensionally prove every mold on our own presses before we release them to production.
Transferring Tooling to Taiwan
The trend through 2026 has been buyers asking for a Taiwan quotation while the China tool is still running which is the sensible approach.
An existing tool arrives with its own history: wear on the shut-off faces, unrecorded bench modifications, a drawing package that no longer matches the steel. We check the tooling before we quote a first article date to you, to make sure that the dates we quote include any additional time for mold repair or refurbishment.
Our Thailand plant adds local manufacturing capability
Our second plant in Thailand adds the capability to deliver to our existing customer base in Thailand locally without any tariff impact. Thailand has long been an important manufacturing center for appliances and electronics and our additional plant allows us to serve many of these Japanese customers such as Sharp and Hitachi more efficiently with a local presence.
Qualifying a part at both plants
Our Thailand facility runs 22 machines from 65 to 1,300 tons for parts up to 4 kilograms, against 52 presses from 30 to 3,200 tons in Tainan. Both sites operate under the same three-stage inspection process and process the same resins, so a part qualified at one can be produced at either although we usually keep the parts qualified in a factory to be produced there to avoid costs associated with mold transfers.
Please contact us through either of our locations to see how we can best help you with your next production program.
FAQ
Qualifying Taiwan auto parts carry a 15 percent combined ceiling under the Section 232 modification published on 28 May 2026 and applied from 1 May 2026. Where the Column 1 duty already meets or exceeds 15 percent, no additional Section 232 duty applies. Confirm your HTS code with your customs broker, since the ceiling reaches only listed parts.
Sourcing from Taiwan does not avoid Section 232. The agreement between the American Institute in Taiwan and TECRO caps the combined rate at 15 percent on qualifying parts rather than removing the measure. Parts outside the Section 232 list were never subject to it from any origin.
Country of origin for a molded component follows the place where the parts are molded rather than the place where the tool was cut, because the substantial transformation happens at the press. A mold built elsewhere and run at AMP's Tainan plant produces Taiwan-origin parts. Have your customs broker confirm this against your own codes, since the rules vary by product and by importing country.
Yes. Thailand is a separate country of origin, and as of 29 September 2026 it carries no negotiated ceiling equivalent to the Taiwan agreement, so the 15 percent cap does not travel with the parts. AMP selects the facility on market coverage, tariff and logistics considerations, and equipment availability for the specific program, so raise the tariff position in the RFQ rather than after qualification.
We measure the tool before we quote a first article date, because its condition and drawing package govern the timeline more than its size does. AMP's published lead times for new molds run from 35 days for small tools to 80 days for the largest, and we quote a transfer against the tool in front of us rather than against those figures. We have to physically inspect the tool before we confirm a production date in order to allow for any tooling maintenance required.