Europe's busiest container port has become an unintended parking lot for thousands of vehicles stranded after U.S. tariff hikes, offering a stark preview of potential disruptions as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to impose 30 percent tariffs on imports from the European Union starting August 1.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium has effectively become "a giant car park" with thousands of U.S.-bound vehicles, including cars, vans, trucks, and tractors, "sitting idle" as manufacturers scramble to mitigate the impact of Trump's tariffs, according to The Guardian.

Figures from the port reveal a 15.9 percent year-on-year drop in exports of new passenger cars and vans to the U.S. during the first half of 2025, with a marked downturn in May – just one month after Trump's announcement of sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs, said The Guardian.

"The outlook for the second half of the year remains uncertain. Much will depend on whether a trade agreement between the EU and the U.S. can be reached by August 1," the port said in a statement, reported the Guardian.

The U.S. tariff on European-made cars has surged from 2.5 percent before Trump returned to the White House in January to 27.5 percent since early April, severely impacting European auto exports to America.

Antwerp-Bruges, Europe's largest export port to the U.S. and one of the world's biggest car transport hubs, reportedly shipped over 3 million vehicles globally in 2024.

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Germany among hardest hit

Germany's car exports to the U.S. fell sharply in April and May after new tariffs from Washington took effect.

According to data of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) released on Friday, vehicle shipments to the United States rose by 14.7 percent year on year in the first quarter. However, in April and May, exports plunged by 23.5 percent after Washington imposed a 25 percent tariff on vehicle imports from the EU.

The first-quarter surge was largely driven by front-loaded orders, as American customers rushed to buy ahead of the planned tariff hike initiated by Trump. Once the duties took effect on April 3, German car exports were hit harder than industry analysts had anticipated.

Germany's automotive industry association, the VDA, had previously warned that the additional auto tariffs would significantly impact EU car exports to the United States. It also highlighted the potential damage to global supply chains and increased costs for American consumers.

"The additional U.S. tariffs send a disastrous signal for free, rules-based trade," the association said, adding that Trump's tariff policy had already faced criticism from within the U.S. industry and would ultimately hamper economic growth and prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic.

The United States has long been Germany's largest trading partner in the automotive sector. In 2024, Germany exported vehicles worth 36.8 billion euros ($42.8 billion) to the United States, while importing vehicles worth 7.9 billion euros, according to VDA data.

Eurostat figures released this week confirmed that the United States remains the top destination for EU automotive products, accounting for 20 percent of the EU's total domestic value added in the sector. Germany is by far the bloc's largest vehicle exporter to the United States.

Germany's three largest carmakers – Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW – were responsible for approximately 73 percent of EU car exports to the United States in 2024, according to German media reports. All three have reportedly come under growing pressure following the tariff hikes.

Meanwhile, Destatis import data showed that U.S.-made vehicles are also losing ground in the German market. In the first five months of 2025, imports from the United States dropped by more than 30 percent year on year, falling to fifth place behind China.

The decline indicates that U.S. automakers, which include German brands producing in America, are also facing significant losses. According to the VDA, the United States exported 233,600 vehicles worth 10.3 billion euros to the EU in 2024, with around 60 percent of them destined for Germany. Half of the vehicles produced by German companies in the United States are exported to markets worldwide.

(With input from Xinhua)