Trump seems to not understand that German automakers do more than just make their cars in Germany.
Trump is reportedly threatening to ban the import of German-made cars. German business magazine Wirtschaftwoche reported that Trump stated during the April visit of President Emmanuel Macron to Washington D.C., that he would like to ban American models. The publication cited unnamed diplomats from Europe and the United States as sources.
Germany is the largest exporter of autos in the European Union. According to Automotive News, the country exported 657,000 vehicles to North America last year. These figures were cited by Germany’s auto industry association.
We can’t just dismiss this threat as an empty threat, given President Trump’s statements in the past. “The Germans have a terrible record. Look at the millions of cars that they sell to the US. Terrible. It is terrible. Trump pledged to impose a 35 percent tax upon every German car imported into the U.S. after he was elected, but not before he took office.
It’s difficult to imagine Trump implementing such a massive ban, as German automakers have plants all around the globe. The most recent G-Class Mercedes-Benz is built at Magna-Steyr in Austria, and the Audi E-Tron Quattro that will be produced there is from Belgium. The President’s plan would not allow models such as this to be imported from certain brands. Additionally, American plants already exist for Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes and BMW in the United States. According to Automotive News, 804,000 German automobile manufacturers built vehicles in the U.S.
Trump would be a hypocrite to ban German cars. He was a reported owner of several Mercedes before he was elected. Photos have showed him driving a Rolls-Royce , which is a BMW product.