Since August 2026, riders hailing a Waymo in San Francisco, Los Angeles or Phoenix may be matched with an Ojai, a boxy minivan built by Zeekr for Waymo. Zeekr, the premium electric brand of China's Geely Holding Group, designed the vehicle at its R&D center in Gothenburg, Sweden; Waymo adds its self-driving system after delivery. Washington has spent two years shutting Chinese cars out of the US market. So how is this allowed? There is no special exemption. The vans pay full tariffs, and they clear the security rule because of what is on board when they arrive and who finishes them.
The tariffs on Waymo's Zeekr vans: Waymo pays them
Outlets including Forbes and Electrek put the total duty on these vans at about 127.5% (reported). Each part of that stack is a published federal rate:
| Layer | Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Standard US duty on electric passenger vehicles | 2.5% | Standard rate (reported) |
| Section 301 tariff on Chinese EVs, since Sept 27, 2024 | 100% | Verified (USTR) |
| Section 232 tariff on imported cars and minivans, since Apr 3, 2025 | 25% | Verified (Proclamation 10908) |
| Total | ~127.5% | Reported |
Some outlets quote about 102.5%, which leaves out the Section 232 layer. Neither Waymo nor the government has published the exact rate or the customs classification of these vans.
Other tariffs: on February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that the IEEPA law does not authorize tariffs, upholding the decision that invalidated the drug-trafficking ("fentanyl") tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico. The President then ended the IEEPA-based tariff actions (CRS). A 10% replacement surcharge under Section 122 ran from February 24 to July 24, 2026 and did not apply to vehicles already under the Section 232 auto tariff (reported).
So there is no tariff loophole: Waymo absorbs the cost. Customs records don't show declared values. Outlets use Zeekr's Chinese price, about $38,000–39,000, as a stand-in for the base van, and estimate the cost after tariffs at between about $78,000 and $89,000. Waymo says the Ojai is cheaper to build and run than its Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis. (Waymo hasn't disclosed prices; all price figures are unconfirmed estimates.)
The connected-vehicle rule: where the gap is
In January 2025, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) finalized its connected-vehicle rule (15 CFR Part 791), effective March 17, 2025. For vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 lb or less, it bans:
- Chinese or Russian connectivity and automated-driving software, from model year 2027
- Chinese or Russian connectivity hardware, from model year 2030, or January 1, 2029 for parts without a model year
- Sales by connected vehicle manufacturers owned or controlled by China or Russia, from model year 2027
The rule targets the technology and the company that counts as the manufacturer. It does not target the country where the body was built. According to Waymo, Zeekr ships a base vehicle from China "with no connectivity hardware or sensors." Waymo then installs the Waymo Driver, its computer, sensors and connectivity, at its driver integration plant in Mesa, Arizona, with supplier Magna (Magna's role is reported).
The rule's own text decides the result. A "connected vehicle manufacturer" includes a US person who "integrates ADS software on a completed connected vehicle for sale in the United States", and "the integration of an Automated Driving System into a connected vehicle constitutes a manufacturing operation." On paper, then, the regulated manufacturer is Waymo, a US company, and the Chinese-built van arrives without Chinese connected tech. That is a gap in what the rule covers, not a waiver. We found no public BIS authorization or advisory opinion for Waymo, and none appears to be needed under this reading.
BIS has already made decisions under the rule's authorization process. According to the Senate Commerce Committee's report on S. 4429, BIS granted Volvo Cars a specific authorization under the rule and declined to authorize Polestar. Polestar then announced that it would stop selling new vehicles in the United States beginning with model year 2027.
"We do not anticipate the final rule will impact our use of the Zeekr platform," Waymo spokesperson Ethan Teicher told WIRED in January 2025.
How many Zeekr-built Ojai vans are in the US
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ojai in commercial service (Aug 2026) | ~300 | Waymo, via TechCrunch |
| Zeekr vans through Port of LA since 2024 | 3,200+ (2,600+ in 2026) | Forbes, from bill-of-lading data |
| Arrivals in July 2026 | 725 | MoffettNathanson, via TechCrunch |
| Projected by end of 2026 | ~5,000–5,100 | MoffettNathanson (estimate) |
| Total Waymo fleet | ~4,000 in 15 US cities | TechCrunch, Sept 2026 |
| Fleet targets | 8,000 end-2026; 20,000 end-2027 | Unconfirmed. Semafor, citing unnamed sources; Waymo declined to comment |
The Ojai runs Waymo's sixth-generation Driver, reported as 13 cameras, 4 lidars and 6 radars.
Will Congress close the gap? The S. 4429 bill
The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 (S. 4429), introduced April 29, 2026 by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) with Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), would ban connected vehicles primarily designed or developed in, manufactured in, or supplied from China, Russia, Iran or North Korea, starting January 1, 2027. That vehicle ban is separate from its software ban, so on our reading a Chinese-built van would be covered even with American software installed. The Senate Commerce Committee approved it by voice vote on July 22 and filed its report on September 22, 2026 (S. Rept. 119-146). The reported version would delay the vehicle ban to model year 2030 for some fleet operators that have run US passenger fleets for at least five years; the report does not say whether Waymo would qualify. The AP reported on September 30 that the bill had stalled. Waymo told Axios the bills "include strict protections with which we intend to comply."
Timeline: Waymo, Zeekr and the rules
- 2021: Waymo and Zeekr announce their partnership.
- Sept 27, 2024: the Section 301 tariff on Chinese EVs rises to 100%.
- Jan 2025: BIS finalizes the connected-vehicle rule; effective Mar 17, 2025.
- Apr 3, 2025: the 25% Section 232 auto tariff begins.
- Feb 20, 2026: the Supreme Court rules IEEPA does not authorize tariffs.
- Apr 29, 2026: S. 4429 introduced.
- May 28, 2026: first early-access Ojai rides.
- Jul 24, 2026: the Section 122 surcharge expires.
- Aug 19, 2026: Ojai opens to all riders in SF, LA and Phoenix.
- Jul 22, 2026: Senate Commerce approves S. 4429.
- Sept 22 / Sept 30, 2026: committee report filed; AP reports the bill has stalled.
- Model year 2027: the BIS software ban applies. Model year 2030: the hardware ban. (Separate from the MY2030 fleet delay in the pending S. 4429.)
What we don't know yet
- The exact duty rate and customs classification of the vans.
- Waymo's cost per vehicle.
- Whether BIS has reviewed Waymo's setup.
- Whether S. 4429 passes, and when.
Sources
15 CFR Part 791 Subpart D (eCFR); Federal Register 2025-00592 (BIS final rule); USTR Notice of Modification, Federal Register 2024-21217 (Sept 18, 2024); Proclamation 10908 and CBP CSMS 64624801 (Section 232 autos); CRS LSB11398 (Supreme Court IEEPA ruling); Congress.gov S. Rept. 119-146 and GovInfo S. 4429; Waymo blog (Dec 28, 2021; Oct 6, 2026); Geely Holding/Zeekr press release (Dec 28, 2021); WIRED (Jan 2025); Forbes (Aug 2, 2026); TechCrunch (Aug 19 and Sept 24, 2026); Electrek (Aug 20, 2026); Axios (Sept 1, 2026); ABA (Section 122); DC News Line/AP (Sept 30, 2026); Semafor (Oct 19, 2026).
