The possibility of Audi building a factory in the U.S. is not being well received by the workers’ representatives in Germany, who have already made it known that the brand needs to ensure jobs and production in the German factories before building a factory in the U.S. to avoid tariffs from President Donald Trump.
The brand, which belongs to the VW Group, is analyzing various options for establishing a factory in the U.S., where VW already has a production unit in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is building another for the Scout brand in Columbia, South Carolina.
The representatives of Audi’s workers are willing to support the brand’s expansion in the U.S., but on the condition that management provides long-term guarantees for jobs and production in Germany, said Jörg Schlagbauer, head of the company’s works council, as quoted by “Bloomberg.”
“We are not refusing to discuss the matter, but for capacity reasons, we do not see the need to build a factory in the U.S. at this time”, said Schlagbauer, who is also the vice-chairman of Audi’s council.
“If we need a factory in the U.S. for political reasons, it cannot be at the expense of the employees and the utilization of production capacity in Germany”. It should be noted that the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Europe, and the end of measures supporting the purchase of electric vehicles in the U.S., are affecting the premium brands of the VW Group, which are considering the possibility of relocating production to the U.S.
