BMW Group talks trade with Trump administration, claims status as ‘largest vehicle exporter from the US’

Who is the largest exporter of motor vehicles from the U.S.? In a statement issued yesterday after joining other German automakers for “a constructive working meeting” with Trump administration officials, the BMW Group said that their company is “is the largest vehicle exporter from the US in terms of value.”

To support their claim on a distinction as the largest vehicle exporter from the U.S., the multinational company, which globally includes BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited in its automotive brand portfolio, reported in their statement that, in 2017, they exported more than 70 percent of a production volume of 371,316 units.

Among the more than 120 destination countries for these exports, China topped the list. Second to China was Germany itself, the home country of the BMW Group.   

The German automaker, in other words, is building vehicles in the United States and shipping them back to, well, Germany.

As an example of their impact on the U.S. economy, the BMW Group cited figures related to its manufacturing operations in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where the automaker has invested more than $9 billion and plans to invest an additional $600 million between now and 2021 to support future production of BMW X models.

The X series is a family of crossovers and SUVs, which BMW classifies as “sport activity vehicles.” Ranging from subcompact to full size, the all-wheel drive models in the X series vary in body styling from sedan and “four-door coupe” designs to hatchback and classic SUV configurations.

BMW says they currently employ nearly 10,000 people at the Spartanburg plant, with plans to create 1,000 more jobs by 2021. The automaker claims a total impact of their Spartanburg presence of up to 120,000 jobs in the U.S., citing “almost 70,000 direct and indirect jobs” related to their operations” as well as a multiplier effect identified by what BMW describes as “an independent study of the University of South Carolina.”

In the statement, BMW also reported plans under consideration of a second manufacturing site in the U.S., where they would manufacture powertrains. The company’s North American impact also includes a new plant in Mexico scheduled to open next year.

However, possibly implying that their future plans to expand manufacturing in the United States could be affected by currently ongoing dialogue among U.S. officials on international trade, the BMW Group added that their plans are not final.

In the context the expansion of their manufacturing that is currently under way, the company stated that taking a step in the future like opening a new powertrain plant “may make business sense.”

In an apparent caveat, however, the automaker noted that “As of today, no decision has been taken on this topic.”