Automotive News Europe — 2025-04-11
Automotive Industry
BMW is considering adding shifts to its Spartanburg plant in South Carolina to boost output by up to 80,000 units, executives said on an analyst call, as automakers brainstorm ways to appease the Trump administration and ward off a mounting trade war.
The automaker had around 30 days’ worth of inventory in the United States as well as some stocks and components and would keep prices stable on most U.S. models until the end of May, executives told analysts on April 10, according to a note on the call by Bernstein Research and confirmed by BMW.
The investor call was held before a closed period on company information ahead of annual results scheduled for May 7.
The automaker’s Spartanburg plant, which exports around half of the vehicles it makes to customers outside the U.S. is located in a free-trade zone.
That meant that parts imported by BMW for vehicles destined for exports were exempt from tariffs, executives said, providing some relief, according to the note.
The factory makes the X3, X4, X5, X6, and X7 SUVs and their variants.