Threatening War: In front of possible tariffs: VW and BMW are increasing in the USA

In the United States, customers are apparently still trading on EU imports about possible tariffs: the German car manufacturers increased the majority in the first quarter on the very important market. Volkswagen and BMW were able to significantly increase their sales, but the VW subsidiary Audi was under pressure.

With the announced higher US import duties, the corporations are likely to be compelled in the future. The determination of tariffs by US President Donald Trump is expected in Washington that evening.

Volkswagen increased sales in the United States by 7.1 percent to 87,915 vehicles, as the company said in Reston. The sales of the SUV model Taos and the Limousine Jetta drove the brand’s growth. The electric car ID.4 also arrived better. Volkswagen sold around 1,900 vehicles from the newly placed electric bulli ID.Buzz.

BMW was also able to take a speed in the USA in the first three months of the year. Bayern delivered 87,615 cars from the BMW brand, which was 3.7 percent more than a year earlier, as the company in Woodcliff said Lake (New Jersey).

The fully electric cars (BEV – Battery Electric Vehicles) gave momentum, which attracted 26.4 percent to 13,538 cars. The BMW sedan models were almost equal with the group’s SUV cars. With the mini small car brand, sales increased by 9.5 percent to 6,976 cars.

The VW subsidiary Audi, however, did not go so round. The Ingolstadt sold 42,710 vehicles and thus around three percent less than a year earlier. Seen in March alone, sales at the BMW rival attracted eight percent.

Possible advanced effects

Mercedes-Benz and VW sports car daughter Porsche AG are still presenting their US numbers. However, the results of VW, BMW and Audi could indicate that the long-threatened higher US import duties have led to EU imports to preferential purchases.

The US government initially announced that they would work out proposals by early April. Last week, Donald Trump then announced tariffs from an additional 25 percent to EU auto imports.

So far, the United States has raised 2.5 percent on cars from the EU, but 25 percent on pick-ups and particularly heavy cars. In return, the EU has so far been 10 percent inches on car imports from the USA.

Trump wants to put pressure on trading partners with higher tariffs, reduce the United States’ chronic trade deficit with large blocks such as the EU and China and thus bring production back to the United States. Experts doubt whether this can succeed, among other things because of higher costs for the production on site and thus attractive inflation.

Trump had already tightened the rules to Mexico and Canada. This already affects the car manufacturer BMW, whose cars did not meet the requirements of the North American free trade agreement USMCA. These present a value of 75 percent in North America.

BMW therefore had already calculated a billionthlayel in its annual forecast for tariffs made of aluminum and steel as well as on US imports from China. If the US import duties against the EU come into force as announced, it will come even thicker.

China is the most important individual market for the German car manufacturers. For the huge market in the People’s Republic, the carmakers mostly produce on site in China. Commercial hardships with the United States from the EU are more profound. A decline in sales in the USA could therefore hit European works hard.