The move to put 10% additional tariffs on imports from China will impact a small number of U.S. vehicles, but increased costs of auto parts could impact already heightened car prices. The largest impact on actual vehicles will be on Ford Motor's Lincoln Nautilus and General Motors' Buick Envision.

The tariffs have also provoked political tension, including retaliation from China, which responded to Trump's move with tariffs on US goods and an anti-monopoly probe of Google, among other measures. The speed with which China filed its complaint with the WTO is an indication of Beijing's readiness for the trade fight.