High Tariffs? Build Here Instead
Ever since the Trump administration increased tariffs on foreign automakers, the automotive landscape hasn’t been the same. Most brands competing in the major U.S. market have been trying to find ways to survive and stay competitive. One reason why the current government increased the tariffs was to convince more of these car makers to build their cars in the U.S. instead.
It seems one major car brand has just called the administration’s bluff, with a major announcement just this past week from the President himself.
Audi
Audi to Build In America
Reuters reported that President Donald Trump said Audi plans to build a $4 billion assembly and manufacturing plant in Georgia. According to the report, the Audi facility is set to produce 200,000 SUVs annually and will also generate more vital American jobs. The President made the announcement in Macon, Central Georgia, where the proposed plant will be built.
This will mark a major milestone for the Audi brand, as it will be its first assembly facility in the U.S. According to Audi CEO Gernot Doellner, the German automaker plans to bring its biggest and most premium SUVs to Macon for production. He also says the new plant signals Audi’s commitment to the American market, which he says the company believes in.
Audi says the plant will create 4,500 new jobs, with construction set to begin next year and production expected to start in the early 2030s. A U.S. official said that the new Georgia plant will produce the Q7, Q8, and Q9 SUVs. Furthermore, Audi also has plans to build 25,000 cars per year in South Carolina. The South Carolina facility is for the Scout brand, another Volkswagen subsidiary, and will cost $2 billion.
Audi
The Cost Of Tariffs
Just last year, Trump’s tariffs cost Audi $1.4 billion because it brings most of its vehicles to the U.S. market from Mexico or Europe. Sales also haven’t been so good in the past two years; in the first half of this year, sales slipped 7%, and 2026 sales are already down 16%. US Senator Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican, said that Audi’s major investment in Georgia would never have happened without tariffs or without eliminating California’s ability to regulate fuel economy standards.
Audi
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