Holden Ute can't carry tariff load in US
Herald SunSTUART MARTIN
August 21, 2012 12:00AM
IT should be right at home on the roads and farms of the US, but tariffs and the strong Australian dollar could prevent the Commodore Ute following the sedan as an export
While plans for the new VF Commodore sedan to be exported to the US late next year are well advanced - including a role as Chevrolet's NASCAR competitor - tariff barriers of up to 40 per cent will prevent the two-seater ute following suit.
Holden's SA corporate affairs manager, Sean Poppitt said the Ute was "not a serious option under the tariff regime".
"The tariff triples when you go from Commodore to Ute. It's under a light commercial heading, so it's a 35 per cent tariff," he said.
Holden's executive director of manufacturing, Richard Phillips, said New Zealand and South Africa remained the only export markets.
"We were hopeful at one stage, we thought we might be able to duck in under it, but it was ruled out," he said. "With the dollar where it is, exports can only be pursued that are niche ... and profitable in this environment."