Audi plans to build its first American assembly plant in Georgia, a project the company values at about $4 billion and expects to employ roughly 4,500 people.
President Donald Trump announced the decision at a rally in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, 10 days before the midterm elections, and put the investment at $4.2 billion. The plant will sit at the Middle Georgia Mega Site near Macon and is designed for capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles a year. A US official told Reuters it will assemble the Q7, Q8 and Q9 SUVs, the largest and most expensive models in the brand's lineup.
Why Audi is building in the US
Audi imports every vehicle it sells in the United States, from factories in Europe or Mexico, and pays the 25% tariff Trump placed on imported vehicles and parts. The company has said locally built vehicles are needed to protect its position in its largest market outside Europe.
"Without tariffs, they would not have been coming in," Trump said at the rally, presenting the plant as proof that the duties are pulling manufacturing into the country. Economists have said the tariffs raise prices for buyers, and several analysts have noted that a factory taking years to finish will not offset those costs in the meantime.
Gernot Doellner, Audi's chief executive, appeared on stage with Trump and said the plant would build the brand's largest and most premium SUVs for North American customers. Volkswagen, Audi's parent, will also add 25,000 units of capacity at its Scout Motors site in South Carolina, according to the US official, and some of the Georgia output is expected to be exported.
Two timelines
Audi said construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with production in the early 2030s. Trump told the crowd that work could begin as early as next month. The difference matters for suppliers deciding when to add capacity near Macon.
Georgia officials welcomed the project. Governor Brian Kemp said the state had built a reputation as a place where global companies come to shape the future of their industries.
What the plant needs
The site needs a trained workforce, and the plant will order presses, paint shop equipment, conveyors and automated assembly stations long before the first vehicle is built. Audi said the location offers an established supplier network and logistics links, which matters because the plant is designed to export as well as supply US dealers.
Hiring will ramp up slowly over several years, and the 4,500 jobs figure is a target for full production rather than an immediate number.
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