Overview
- The European Commission proposed tightening the Individual Vehicle Approval waiver, a low-volume path for non‑EU‑spec vehicles, with changes slated to start in 2027.
- EU officials say the update would close safety gaps that allow some models onto European roads without meeting the bloc’s full standards.
- U.S. diplomats and the American Automotive Policy Council argue the change would effectively exclude American full‑size pickups and conflict with trade understandings.
- The waiver currently brings in about 7,000 U.S. pickups and SUVs a year, under 0.1% of EU sales, with nearly 5,200 of those being Ram trucks.
- The fight plays out against a long U.S. policy that shields its own truck market with a 25% import tariff known as the chicken tax.