Tariff costs are beginning to show up in what auto glass shops pay for windshields.
Reymundo Menchaca, owner of Auto Glass Pros in San Antonio, Texas, has seen glass prices increase about 5% to 10%.
“As a business, we have to pass this cost along to our customers, or we won’t survive for long,” he says.
So far, the higher costs have not changed how Menchaca buys glass. Quality remains the main factor in his purchasing decisions.
Jeremy Driscoll, owner of JRD Windshield Repair & Replacement in Austin, Texas, is also paying more for glass.
“We have definitely seen a dramatic increase in wholesale prices,” Driscoll says.
Based on market pricing, Driscoll believes many shops are absorbing those increases because insurers and third-party administrators are not providing tariff relief to independent glass shops.
“We have to be more selective, not only about where we are buying glass from, but also which jobs we are willing to take on,” he says.
The tariffs themselves are not the same for every windshield.
Why Tariff Charges Vary
A 25% tariff on certain imported auto parts took effect May 3, 2025, under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
That’s not the only tariff that can apply.
In a January 2026 ruling involving Vitro, CBP determined that seven models of finished automotive windshields imported from China were also subject to additional Section 301 duties.
Which tariffs apply can depend in part on how a product is classified. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative identifies products covered by Section 301 actions by their Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheadings. Businesses that don’t know a product’s classification can check with their supplier, distributor or customs broker.
The windshield’s origin matters, too. A March 2025 White House proclamation imposed a 25% tariff on certain imported automobiles and auto parts, while qualifying products under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement can receive different treatment.
A separate 2025 CBP ruling involved an automotive windshield that qualified for preferential USMCA treatment based on where it was produced and the materials used to make it.
Together, the rulings show why a line labeled simply “tariff” may not tell a shop exactly what is behind the added cost. What applies can depend on the windshield, where it was produced, and how it is classified.
