GSF Car Parts CEO Steve Horne has warned of major disruption to the UK aftermarket sector following the introduction of new trade tariffs, in a live appearance on BBC Breakfast (9 April 2025).
Speaking about the wider implications for the industry, Horne said:
“This is going to reverberate across the whole automotive industry, not just for car manufacturers, but also for aftermarket including distributors of car parts, because the tax is on parts as well. The whole supply chain could be disrupted, and that’s where GSF plays its part in trying to mitigate those disruptions to the hard-working independent garages.”
The warning follows the introduction of tariffs that affect the import of car parts as well as complete vehicles. Horne stressed that GSF will take action to support the thousands of independent garages that rely on timely, cost-effective parts distribution.
In 2024, GSF Car Parts invested more than £100 million to reinforce its supply chain infrastructure. A key development was the opening of a new 500,000 square foot national distribution centre (NDC) in Wolverhampton. The NDC now supplies more than 200 GSF branches daily.
“Our NDC ensures we have strong capability to be agile and react,” Horne added. “It gives us industry-leading availability as we can source from global manufacturers anywhere in the world and hold buffer stocks to mitigate any disruptions. The action on tariffs shows just how essential this resilience and flexibility is to ensure we can deliver best possible value and service to our independent garage customers.”
Industry data supports the concern about wider economic effects. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) states the UK automotive sector directly employs 813,000 people. With each of those jobs supporting a further 2.2 roles in related sectors, it’s estimated that around 7% of all UK employment is tied to the automotive industry—most of it within the independent garage network.
While manufacturers have been the main focus in recent political discussions, Horne’s comments bring much-needed attention to the potential aftershocks in the aftermarket sector. With parts tariffs now on the table, supply chain strategy and resilience have never been more critical.
For more on GSF Car Parts, visit www.gsfgroup.com.
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