When did zero duty start applying?

The preference has run since 2026-07-01 under the EU–US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade. It covers passenger cars finally assembled in the United States; cars from plants in other countries continue to clear at 10%. Checking origin by VIN remains the necessary step before you count on a rate.

Does zero duty change the amount of VAT?

Indirectly, yes. VAT at 23% is charged on customs value with duty added, so 0% instead of 10% also lowers the tax base. Excise follows engine size and comes to 3.1% or 18.6%, and zero duty does not touch it.

Which Buick models should I check first?

The ones built in the States and abroad in parallel. On those Buick models the rate is settled car by car, and the gap between 0% and 10% genuinely moves the maximum figure worth chasing at auction.

Does the model year affect the duty rate?

Not directly, though it often matters in practice: manufacturers shift production between plants partway through a generation. The same Buick model from two model years can have a different assembly country, which is why the rate is set for one VIN rather than for a model name.

Does an American seller mean American assembly?

No. Sales in the States also move cars built in Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. The condition for the preference concerns where the Buick was finally assembled, not where it was auctioned, so reading the plant off the VIN stays the only reliable check.

Buick off American assembly lines

17 Buick models in our database show up with American assembly, while 6 arrive only from plants outside the USA. The preference in force since 2026-07-01 cuts duty to 0% instead of 10%, but what counts is where the individual car was put together — two cars of one model can carry different rates.

Which Buick models are assembled in the USA?

Across the Buick range we confirm American assembly for 17 models, while 6 have only ever reached us from plants outside the USA. The first group can enter the EU at 0%, the second pays 10%. Where a model lists two assembly countries, only the VIN gives an answer.

Model	Assembly countries	Status	Cars in our database
Enclave	Canada, United States	Depends on the car	23,607
Encore	China, South Korea	No preference	23,076
LaCrosse	Canada, United States	Depends on the car	17,751
Encore GX	South Korea	No preference	9,265
Envision	China	No preference	8,239
Regal	Australia, Canada, Germany, United States	Depends on the car	7,972
Verano	United States	Can be 0%	7,804
Lucerne	United States	Can be 0%	6,066
LeSabre	United States	Can be 0%	5,668
Century	Canada, Mexico, United States	Depends on the car	3,100
Envista	South Korea	No preference	2,819
Rendezvous	Mexico	No preference	1,402
Park Avenue	United States	Can be 0%	1,362
Cascada	Poland	No preference	618
Rainier	United States	Can be 0%	457
Roadmaster	United States	Can be 0%	199
Terraza	United States	Can be 0%	192
Riviera	United States	Can be 0%	175
Skylark	United States	Can be 0%	138
Reatta	United States	Can be 0%	43
Electra	United States	Can be 0%	37
Allure	Canada, United States	Depends on the car	25
Skyhawk	United States	Can be 0%	4

Models of “American” brands without zero duty

Some Buick families were never built in the States, and others moved abroad partway through a generation. Either way the car enters the EU at 10% rather than 0%. Model year and version can therefore give different answers under one and the same model name.

Model	Assembly countries	Status	Cars in our database
Encore	China, South Korea	No preference	23,076
Encore GX	South Korea	No preference	9,265
Envision	China	No preference	8,239
Envista	South Korea	No preference	2,819
Rendezvous	Mexico	No preference	1,402
Cascada	Poland	No preference	618

Made in USA • Tax 0%

How do you check a specific car?

The check takes about fifteen seconds: type in the VIN and we read the country and city of the assembly plant from the manufacturer's data. A plant in the States means this Buick qualifies for 0% duty; any other country means 10%. The model name and the build year cannot tell you that on their own.

How much will you save?

How much you save follows the customs value, so what you get here is the mechanism rather than a finished number. A Buick from an American plant comes in at 0% instead of 10%, and lower duty also drags down the 23% VAT base. Put your car's details into the calculator and read off the difference.

Work out the import cost

Zero-duty paperwork — our job

Proof of origin and clearance are on us. For a Buick that the VIN places on an American line, we assemble the plant documentation and declare the car at the 0% rate. All we need from you is the car you picked and its VIN.

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