Trump says Audi to build $4 bln Georgia plant in push for midterm votes
US President Donald Trump announced Audi plans a $4 billion SUV plant in Georgia, creating 4,500 jobs, as he campaigns for midterm elections. Critics say tariffs raised prices and delayed investments. Audi's US sales are down 16 per cent this year.
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Audi plans to build a US$4 billion assembly plant in Georgia, aiming to convince Americans to back Republicans in the November midterm elections. The plant would produce 200,000 SUVs annually and create about 4,500 jobs, Audi said.
Trump made the announcement at a rally in Perry, near Macon in central Georgia, where Volkswagen's premium subsidiary intends to build its first US assembly plant. Last year, Trump's tariffs on autos, steel, aluminium and parts dealt Audi a €1.2 billion blow as it imports all its vehicles for the US market from Europe or Mexico.
Georgia has competitive election races for US Senate and governor. Critics say the tariffs have boosted vehicle prices and that trade uncertainty has delayed some automaker investments. Audi's US sales are down 16 per cent this year, while global sales slid 7 per cent in the first half of 2026 amid fierce competition in China.
Audi CEO Gernot Doellner said at the event: “We are planning to bring our biggest and most premium SUVs, and produce them here in Macon, Georgia. This is a long-term investment because we believe in the American market.” The plant is expected to assemble the Audi Q7, Q8 and Q9 SUVs, a US official told Reuters. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with production starting in the early 2030s.
In Germany, tensions have risen between Volkswagen management and workers over massive job cuts and possible plant closures. IG Metall union head and Volkswagen deputy supervisory board chair Christiane Benner said: “It is right and necessary to better tap into the US market via a new plant. However, firm prospects for workers at all sites, particularly those here in Germany, must be clearly defined and set out.” Olaf Lies, state premier of Lower Saxony, Volkswagen's second-largest shareholder, said: “Growth in America must secure jobs and value creation here and must not displace them.”
US Senator Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican, said the Audi plant “would never have happened without tariffs, without common sense regulations and without eliminating California's ability to regulate fuel economy standards”. Trump has cut government incentives for electric vehicles, causing a significant reduction in EV and battery production. US vehicle and parts employment has fallen since Trump took office last year.