For possible plans of the group Volkswagen to relocate part of the production of the Audi brand to USAIn order to escape US customs duties (+25%), the head of the German car industry said in an interview published yesterday, adding that he was holding talks with President Donald Trump’s government.
The Volkswagen group wants to do “whatever it is possible to remain a credible investor and partner in the US,” Oliver Belmon assured in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
He stressed that for Audi production in the US is “in our development strategy”.
However, it ruled out the transfer of Porsche sports cars to the US, although this is their largest market due to the low volume of sales (70,000 vehicles a year).
The largest European car manufacturer, the Volkswagen Group, is particularly affected by US customs duties. The VW logo cars sold in the US at 65% have been imported from Europe or Mexico, although there is a brand factory in Tennessee.
Audi and Porsche vehicles are all produced outside the US.
And the US market, where sales have increased a total of 6.4% last year, has become even more important to the Volkswagen group given its speeding speed in China, where the group, which is in competitiveness, has been overcome, especially in the electric cars.
Mr Blume, avoiding assessing the consequences of the duties, said that “we are preparing for various scenarios”, but added that he would not make decisions “hastened” but would seek a “overall solution” with the Trump government.
On Monday, the US president appeared to open the door to the search for a car industry, as large American manufacturers are now ringing the alarm on the impact of tariffs on production and their revenue. He said he is ready to consider “how the manufacturers can be helped”, without making it more specific.
Source: RES-EIA