Aston Martin is set to restart car exports to the United States next week after a three-month pause triggered by President Trump’s shock “liberation day” tariffs, with its chief executive warning that political inconsistency is wreaking havoc across the automotive industry.
Adrian Hallmark, who took over as CEO of the London-listed luxury carmaker earlier this year, confirmed the company would resume shipments to its crucial US market after the UK and US agreed a revised trade deal that locks in a 10 per cent tariff rate. While this is still four times higher than the pre-tariff level of 2.5 per cent, it provides certainty that was missing under the looming threat of 27.5 per cent duties.
“We anticipated a period of turmoil and shipped extra stock in Q1,” Hallmark told delegates at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) conference. “Now, with the deal done, we can invoice built-up inventory. Demand has remained strong.”
The temporary halt in US shipments — a market that accounts for a significant share of Aston Martin’s sales — was a calculated risk, Hallmark said, likening it to “losing a third of your salary for three months. Not catastrophic, but slightly uncomfortable.”
The trade agreement, due to take effect on Monday, eases pressure on Aston Martin after months of uncertainty. Shares in the company, which had slumped to a record low of under 60p following the tariff threats in April, have since rallied by more than a third. They closed down slightly on Tuesday at 80p.
Hallmark, who was poached from Bentley last year to lead a turnaround of the debt-laden and lossmaking British marque, has won early backing from investors for his strategic approach. But speaking in London, he warned that long-term business planning is increasingly at the mercy of political inconsistency and regulatory fragmentation across global markets.
“Post-Covid, we were hoping for a return to normal. What we’ve seen instead is reverse globalisation and rapid market fragmentation,” he said. “We’re facing diverging emissions rules, safety standards, and tech regulations — China has its own, the US has another, and Europe has a third.”
He stressed that while major car manufacturers may have the resources to juggle differing standards, smaller companies like Aston Martin face disproportionate costs in adapting their vehicles to meet multiple, shifting compliance regimes.
Closer to home, Hallmark singled out the UK government’s shifting policies on vehicle emissions as a prime example of how inconsistency can derail long-term investment.
“We’ve had ICE bans for 2030, then 2035, back to 2030 again — then hybrids allowed, and now the zero-emissions mandate. These changes happened within two years. Our product development cycle is five,” he said.
Hallmark’s remarks come as Aston Martin continues its push to transform the brand’s fortunes with a new range of electrified vehicles. The company has committed to launching its first fully electric car in 2026, but its broader plans — and those of the UK automotive sector more widely — depend on a stable regulatory and trading environment.
Aston Martin’s resumption of transatlantic exports offers a short-term win, but the wider message from Hallmark was clear: if Britain wants to remain a hub for high-value car manufacturing, politicians at home and abroad must offer clarity, consistency and a long-term vision that businesses can plan around.
