Audi suspends car exports to U.S. due to Trump tariffs
German automaker Audi is suspending vehicle shipments to the United States following the introduction of tariffs on foreign cars by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Spiegel writes about this with reference to a company representative, LIGA.net reports.
A letter sent to dealerships stated that all vehicles imported into the U.S. after April 2 will be temporarily held and not delivered to dealers. Retailers have been advised to focus on reducing their current inventory levels.
An Audi representative added that over 37,000 vehicles currently in U.S. warehouses are not subject to the new tariffs and can still be sold. This stock is expected to last for approximately two months.
Audi has no production facilities in the United States, and all of its vehicles must be imported.
The company’s U.S. bestseller, the Q5, is manufactured at Audi’s plant in Mexico, while other models come from factories in Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia.
Previously, Audi’s parent company, Volkswagen, also warned its U.S. dealers and announced additional logistical costs. Volkswagen temporarily suspended rail shipments of cars from Mexico and seaports and said pricing updates would be available by mid-April.
Volkswagen had expected the Trump administration to take its U.S. manufacturing presence into account when imposing tariffs on the European auto industry.
The German automaker operates a large plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is currently building a new facility in South Carolina.
Earlier, it was reported that British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover would suspend vehicle shipments to the U.S. for a month. The company plans to assess how President Donald Trump’s tariffs will impact auto imports.
As a reminder, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the introduction of tariffs on nearly all imported goods. The measures target 74 countries and the European Union and will take effect on April 5 and April 9.
On April 4, 25% tariffs on all foreign-made cars came into force. The White House also plans to impose tariffs on certain auto parts by May 3.
