Volkswagen might start manufacturing Audi vehicles in the United States to avoid US import tariffs, CEO Oliver Blume said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, published on Friday.
Blume said the company has a forward-looking strategy in the U.S., with exciting projects tailored for the American market.
He mentioned ongoing discussions with the U.S. government. Specifically, producing Audi cars in the U.S. would be the next step in Volkswagen’s strategic plan, he said.
Volkswagen currently operates a factory in the southern US state of Tennessee and is building a second facility in another southern state, South Carolina, but Audi vehicles are not yet manufactured in the U.S.
In late February, Audi closed its factory in Vorst, Brussels, where the Q8 e-tron used to be produced.
