German automaker BMW is considering expanding shifts at its South Carolina Spartanburg factory to increase production by up to 80,000 units, executives said on Thursday (10) on a teleconference with analysts, while automakers seek ways to appease the Trump government and avoid climbing in the trade war.
The luxury car manufacturer has inventory in the United States for about 30 days, as well as some components, and will leave stable prices for most models sold in the country by the end of May, executives told analysts, according to a Bernstein Research note about the confirmed conference by BMW.
The call with investors was made before the company’s silence period, which precedes the disclosure of the annual results scheduled for May 7.
The Spartanburg automaker’s factory, which exports about half of the vehicles it produces to customer from outside the US, is located in a free trade zone.
This means that the pieces imported by BMW for export vehicles are exempt from tariffs, the executives said, which gives some relief, according to the note.
