US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the German car manufacturer Audi will build a $4 billion (€3.77 billion) assembly plant in the state of Georgia.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, Trump said the plant would produce 200,000 SUVs a year.
“Just imagine: 200,000 cars a year. That’s incredible,” said Trump.
The US President linked the company’s decision to build the plant in the country to his tariff policy.
Trump is banking on manufacturing ahead of the mid-term elections
The US leader has been pressing foreign and American companies to relocate production to the country. Among his measures were large-scale tariffs on car imports.
Last year, Trump’s tariffs cost Audi €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion).
The announcement came against the backdrop of Trump’s last-minute attempts to support Republican candidates in one of the key states. Ahead of the mid-term elections, he is striving to fulfil his promise to revive American manufacturing.
The Republicans are bracing for losses in the 3 November vote against a backdrop of rising prices and the ongoing conflict in Iran.
What has Audi said?
Audi, owned by Volkswagen, has announced that construction of the plant is due to begin next year, with car production set to start in the early 2030s.
The plant is set to assemble the Audi Q7, Q8 and Q9 SUVs, a US government spokesperson told Reuters.
The company estimates that the investment will create around 4,500 jobs.
Editor: Darko Janžević
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