A Hyundai plant is seen in Ellabell, Georgia, the United States, September 9, 2025. (Photo: VCG)

South Korea's biggest carmaker Hyundai Motor saw a double-digit fall in its first-quarter operating profit due to the negative effect of the U.S. tariff imposition, the company said Thursday.

Hyundai's operating profit dipped 30.8 percent from a year earlier to 2.51 trillion won (1.7 billion U.S. dollars) in the January-March quarter.

Its revenue rose 3.4 percent to 45.94 trillion won, the highest for the first quarter, while its net income tumbled 23.6 percent to 2.58 trillion won

Despite its strong sales of hybrid models, the profit plunged in double figures owing to the impact of the U.S. tariffs, Hyundai stressed.

The automaker recorded an operating profit margin of 5.5 percent in the first quarter.

Hyundai sold 976,219 units across the world in the first quarter, down 2.5 percent compared with the same quarter of last year.

The downturn was impacted by the geopolitical uncertainties that led to weaker global demand.

Its domestic automotive sales fell 4.4 percent to 159,066 units, while sales outside South Korea reduced 2.1 percent to 817,153 units.

Hyundai's global sales of electrified models, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles, surged 14.2 percent to 242,612 units in the cited quarter.

The electrified vehicles represented 24.9 percent of Hyundai's total global sales.