Why It Matters

The International Motor Vehicle Trade Association (IMVTA), an organization of motor vehicle import professionals, filed a termination of its lobbying registration on August 11, ending a campaign that had intensified dramatically over the past 18 months as the import vehicle sector faced sweeping trade policy changes.

IMVTA had shifted its lobbying priorities sharply beginning in early 2025. From 2023 through 2024, the organization focused on transportation spending issues. But starting in the first quarter of 2025, IMVTA pivoted entirely to lobbying on car import compliance issues, a move that coincided with a dramatic upheaval in U.S. trade policy affecting its core constituency.

The termination came roughly 16 months after a 25% tariff on imported automobiles took effect on April 3, 2025, followed by a separate tariff on auto parts on May 3, 2025. These policies directly impacted the vehicle import market IMVTA represented. A 15% baseline reciprocal tariff also applies to most vehicles under the broader reciprocal tariff framework, creating a multi-layered tariff environment that the organization had been working to navigate through its lobbying efforts.

Broader Context

IMVTA's lobbying activities in 2025 centered on car import compliance issues across all four quarters of the year, a sustained focus that reflected the urgency of the tariff environment. The organization has testified before the White House Interagency Committee on Trade in Automotive Goods.

The scale of the problem IMVTA was addressing became clear in its advocacy: hundreds of thousands of vehicles annually are affected by USMCA rules of origin compliance requirements that prevent those vehicles from receiving duty-free treatment when imported into the U.S.

IMVTA has no publicly available evidence of holding U.S. government contracts.

The Bottom Line

IMVTA conducted its lobbying operations in-house through Mark Riso, a Senior Policy Adviser. Ice Miller Strategies LLC also represented the organization as an outside lobbying firm. The organization's lobbying activities ceased in 2026, with the final termination filing on August 11.

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