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The Shop Floor.

News, margin math, and operations plays for auto parts retailers. Written by the team deploying AI agents inside independent shops. No fluff, no fear-mongering: just what's happening and what to do about it.

Industry · April 21, 2026 · 7 min read

Section 232 Tariffs Are Still Squeezing Your Margin. Every Missed Call in 2026 Just Got More Expensive.

The Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs in February. Ten weeks later, steel, aluminum, and copper duties are still in effect, a new 15% global rate is active, and Section 232 expansion on auto parts is in public comment. Your input costs went up. Your answered-call rate didn't. Here's the math on why that gap is widening faster than your margin can absorb.

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