Audi defends decision to stand by Trump on $4 billion US factory in Georgia
Audi CEO Gernot Doellner defended the planned $4 billion Georgia factory, which is expected to produce 200,000 SUVs a year and create about 4,500 jobs. Volkswagen’s supervisory board must still approve the investment.
1. Planned Georgia factory
Doellner said Audi’s planned $4 billion investment followed months of planning and negotiations. The factory is expected to assemble 200,000 SUVs annually, with construction scheduled to begin next year and production to start in the early 2030s.
2. Approval still pending
Volkswagen’s supervisory board must make a final investment decision for the project to proceed. Audi said the plant would create approximately 4,500 jobs and is expected to assemble the Q7, Q8 and Q9 SUVs.
3. Tariff and labor concerns
Audi has said US tariffs cost it around €1.2 billion last year, as it imports all vehicles for the US market from Europe or Mexico. German union representatives said the investment should benefit workers at Volkswagen’s German sites as well as its US operations.
