Trump announces Audi’s first US factory in Georgia

Audi plans to build its first factory in the United States, with an investment of 4.2 billion dollars, President Donald Trump announced at a campaign event in Georgia. The automaker confirmed the planned project in a statement, BR reported.

Trump said the investment, equivalent to about 3.6 billion euros, would go towards a plant near Macon. Audi plans to begin construction next year and start production in the early 2030s. The company expects the factory to create about 4,500 jobs.

The plant is expected to produce premium SUVs designed for North American customers. Trump said it would make 200,000 cars a year.

Audi said the investment would strengthen its long-term commitment to the United States and help establish North America as a third pillar of its global production network, alongside Europe and China. The brand has so far made cars for the US market in Europe or Mexico.

The announcement came days before the US midterm elections, as Trump promotes economic investment and manufacturing jobs. His administration’s tariffs are also weighing on Audi, which does not have a factory in the United States.

IG Metall union chair Christiane Benner welcomed the plan as a way to develop the US market, but said workers at all locations, including those in Germany, needed firm prospects. She said the final decision on the factory remains subject to approval by Volkswagen’s supervisory board, where she is deputy chair.

Volkswagen chief executive Oliver Blume said growth in North America could benefit the wider group and that an Audi factory would help create the conditions for profitable growth in the region. Volkswagen plans to cut about 100,000 jobs worldwide by 2030, most of them in Germany.