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Volkswagen considers pulling out of US factory plans over tariffs

Jan 26, 2026, 6:39am EST
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A Volkswagen T-Roc vehicle.
Annegret Hilse/File Photo/Reuters

Volkswagen may pull its plans for a major Audi factory in the US, citing President Donald Trump’s automotive tariffs.

The car giant’s CEO told Handelsblatt that US levies cost VW $2.5 billion in the first nine months of 2025, and that reductions were necessary.

German investments in the US as a whole fell 45% year-on-year in 2025 as Trump’s duties took hold, Reuters reported, while German exports to the US also fell, although the dollar’s depreciation was likely a factor.

After Trump warned at the World Economic Forum last week of possible further duties on Europe, growing global uncertainty over the stability of trade relationships pushed gold above $5,000 per ounce for the first time.

A chart showing German FDI stock in the US.
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