GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE INC

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Existing and potential new trade policies, such as tariffs, could adversely affect our operations, costs and business.

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President Donald Trump has issued a series of executive orders since taking office in January 2025, including executive orders regarding tariffs. Refer to Part I, Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Recent Events, for additional information regarding these executive orders, including those related to tariffs.

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On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order setting a 10 percent baseline tariff on imports, with higher rates for countries running trade surpluses with the U.S. By April 9, 2025, a follow-up order paused most of the higher reciprocal tariffs for 90 days but kept the 10 percent baseline and raised Chinese tariffs. On July 7, 2025, President Donald Trump extended the tariff modifications through August 1, 2025. On August 11, 2025, President Donald Trump further extended the suspension of country-specific reciprocal tariff rates on Chinese goods and kept the 10% rate in place through November 10, 2025. Public statements from members of the Trump Administration and President Donald Trump, himself, have indicated that negotiations are continuing with various foreign nations, although an extension of the tariff modification deadline beyond the November 10, 2025 deadline cannot be predicted with certainty at this time.

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On March 26, 2025, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act imposing a 25 percent tariff on imported automobiles and certain automobile parts. Subsequent procedures issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce provided partial relief for vehicles qualifying under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and allowed manufacturers with U.S. assembly operations to apply for offsets on parts tariffs. In August 2025, a federal appeals court limited certain tariff powers under emergency statutes, but the Section 232 automobile tariffs remain in effect.

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While the possibility exists for delays, reductions or exemptions of the automotive and reciprocal tariffs, the potential impacts of the tariffs described above remain uncertain and may cause a significant impact on the price of our products as well as the future mix of and demand for vehicles provided by our manufacturers, as well as alter the mix of supply and demand for used vehicles. To the extent any such tariffs remain in place for a sustained period of time, or in the event a global or domestic recession results therefrom, the disposable income of our customers could be significantly reduced, which may result in our customers deciding to delay new or used vehicle purchases or vehicle maintenance and repairs, or forego them entirely, each of which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, reciprocal tariffs, tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper and other materials, and the elevated tariffs against China could negatively impact business or consumer sentiment, demand for our products, our manufacturers’ global supply chains and the United States or global economy generally. Manufacturers’ supply chain dependencies and production facility locations vary (and planned facility locations may, in response to threatened tariffs and trade barriers, be changed), and as a result, certain manufacturers could be impacted more significantly by the imposition of tariffs than others.

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Additional actions taken by the U.S. that restrict or could impact the economics of trade — including additional tariffs, trade barriers and other similar measures — could have the potential to further disrupt existing supply chains and trigger retaliatory efforts by other countries, including the imposition of tariffs, raising taxation, setting foreign exchange or capital controls, or establishing embargoes, sanctions, or other import/export restrictions, thereby negatively impacting our business, both directly and indirectly. These developments, or the possibility that more of them could occur, may materially create or increase business uncertainty and could adversely affect the global economy and stability of global financial markets, potentially reducing trade and depressing economic activity, including demand for our products. Such changes in international trade policies may result in direct impacts to our business or indirectly to our customers or suppliers through increased costs, changes in business prospects or operating results, which could adversely affect our financial condition. The extent of such impacts cannot be predicted at this time.