During the Trump campaign tour: Audi announces SUV factory in the USA

dpa | The German car manufacturer Audi announced the construction of a new SUV factory in the USA in the middle of a campaign event for US President Donald Trump. Trump announced in his speech to supporters in the east coast state of Georgia that Audi would begin construction of a massive factory in the state next month. 200,000 cars are expected to be produced there every year. He then called Audi boss Gernot Döllner onto the stage, who again thanked Trump for his support before the US parliamentary elections.

There are less than ten days until the important midterms. On November 3rd, Americans will vote on the seats in the House of Representatives and some of the seats in the Senate. Trump's Republican Party wants to defend its razor-thin majorities in both chambers of the US Congress.

Since the beginning of his second term in office in January 2025, Trump has been demanding that foreign companies relocate production to the USA with the threat of high tariffs. He offered such companies the prospect of waiving tariffs on imports into the USA. Trump wants to stimulate the domestic economy and create industrial jobs.

An Audi statement said that construction of the plant is scheduled to begin in 2027. For the first time, the brand is planning its own factory in the USA. Around 4,500 jobs are to be created and around four billion US dollars (around 3.6 billion euros) are to be invested. Production is scheduled to start in the early 2030s. The factory will build premium SUVs that are specifically tailored to the requirements of North American customers.

IG Metall was generally positive about the plans, but also combined this with a warning. “It is right and necessary to better develop the US market through a new plant,” said First Chairwoman Christiane Benner in a statement. “However, binding perspectives for employees at all locations, especially at local locations, must be clearly defined and recorded.” The board of directors has a debt to pay.

Benner also pointed out that the final decision on a possible new factory building in the USA was subject to committee approval. “The final vote will be taken with a holistic view, correctly and importantly, in the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG.” Benner is deputy chairwoman there.

The entire Volkswagen Group benefits from the success in North America, VW boss Oliver Blume emphasized in a statement. “We see the region as an important market for profitable growth,” said the CEO of the Volkswagen Group. “A possible factory for Audi in the USA would create further conditions for this: localized products from the USA for the USA.”