Volkswagen can only build the Audi plant in the USA under consideration if President Donald Trump reduces the burden of tariffs.
Oliver Blume, the head of the Volkswagen Group, to which Audi belongs, made this clear in an interview with the “Handelsblatt”. “If the burden of tariffs remains unchanged, a large additional investment cannot be financed,” said Blume in response to a corresponding question. “What we need are short-term cost relief and long-term, reliable framework conditions.”
Audi has been thinking about building a plant in the USA since 2023. The reason given at the time was new subsidies in the United States, which made building a plant economically interesting. Meanwhile, the US government under Trump is putting pressure on European car manufacturers with tariffs. This burdened the VW Group with EUR 2.1 billion in the first nine months of 2025, as Blume said.
The CEO nevertheless spoke of a “forward strategy” for the US business and clear growth opportunities. However, Blume called the once formulated goal of ten percent market share in the USA an old goal. Today, Volkswagen must move forward step by step.
There have been some discussions with the government in Washington about the construction of an Audi plant, for example with President Trump and his Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick – but still without the necessary results. “Anyone who invests and creates jobs and added value must also have advantages on the cost side,” demanded Blume. “We remain open to solutions that benefit both sides.”
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WOLFSBURG (dpa-AFX)
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