Let’s say you’ve had your eye on a German luxury ride for years. Your chance might have come and gone while you missed it. As of this month, Audi and VW have hit pause on all U.S. vehicle imports from Europe and Mexico. Why? President Donald Trump’s new 25% auto tariff. Cars already in the U.S. before April 2 are fine, but everything else? Stuck. If your dream car’s parked at a port, it might never see a U.S. dealership lot. Or it might arrive with a hefty import fee tacked onto the MSRP. Welcome to the new age of tariffs and trade wars—where your dream of a German sports car might already be much more expensive.

Audi imports on hold: what it means for buyers

Audi has paused all vehicle imports to the United States due to the new import tariffs. According to Carscoops, cars that arrived after April 2 are being held at U.S. ports and are not being delivered to dealers. Reuters reported that Audi has about 37,000 vehicles in stock that aren’t affected. Tat’s enough to last roughly two months–if there isn’t a rush to buy them up.

Volkswagen Group, parent company to Audi, said in response to inquiries about the tariffs that, “We are closely monitoring developments and will comprehensively assess internally the potential impact on supply chains and our production networks…” according to TFLcar.

Audi’s best-selling U.S. model, the Q5, which is built in Mexico, may get a reprieve as President Trump has paused tariffs with Canada and Mexico. The rest of the lineup comes from Europe. Audi confirmed in a memo to dealers that it would “freeze shipments from April 2 until further notice,” as reported by Reuters. With multiple factories in the U.S., VW is in a much better position.

VW Group CEO Oliver Blume emphasized the importance of the U.S. market, stating, “We want to continue expanding. The Volkswagen brand has opportunities in its product portfolio. For Audi, US production would be a step in the development of our strategy,” (Carscoops). He added, “Constructive talks are currently underway with the US government.”

Buyers move fast as uncertainty grows

Some consumers aren’t waiting to see how this plays out. Andrew Neuberger, an Atlanta-area resident, told The Verge, “I wasn’t planning on getting rid of the car for at least another year or two.” But as tariffs loomed, he moved up his timeline to swap his old car out for a new German import.

John Osborn, another buyer, made a similar choice. “Tariffs made it look like prices were going to go up, so I decided to move quickly.” He bought a car in a second-choice color rather than risk future price hikes.

Tom McParland of Automatch Consulting observed, “Deals are expiring rapidly.” He cautioned buyers, “Don’t step over a fair deal waiting for a better one.”

With President Trump’s tariffs in place and no rollback in sight, one thing’s clear: if your dream car comes from Europe, your dreams might already be out of reach. Audi and VW are exploring workarounds, but there’s no fast fix. The next few months could thin out dealer lots—and boost prices on whatever’s left. Your best bet? Buy American. Or at least, North American. See CNBC’s dive into Audi’s import pause in the video embedded below: