Follow-Up: Trump Formally Announces Audi's First U.S. Plant in Macon, Georgia: $4.2 Billion, Construction Next Month, About 4,500 Jobs
Macon, a city in Bibb County, Georgia, will host Audi's first factory in the United States. President Donald Trump formally announced at a midterm campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, on October 24 that Audi, the premium brand of Volkswagen Group, will invest $4.2 billion in a plant in Macon producing 200,000 cars a year, with construction to begin next month. GSM reported the plan earlier today, when Audi had not yet commented; with Trump announcing it in person, Audi's chief executive appearing onstage and the company issuing a statement, the plan is now official.
"I'm thrilled to announce a massive auto manufacturing investment in the great state of Georgia by a fantastic company," Trump told the crowd. He put the investment at $4.2 billion, called it the biggest single investment in U.S. auto industry history, and credited his tariff policy: "Think of that. 200,000 cars a year. That's incredible. Without tariffs, they wouldn't be coming in."
Audi Chief Executive Gernot Döllner joined Trump onstage. "We are planning to bring our biggest and most premium SUVs, and produce them here in Macon," he said. The Macon plant is planned to build the Q7, Q8 and Q9 SUVs, according to earlier reporting; Audi also plans to add 25,000 vehicles of production at Scout Motors' plant under construction in Blythewood, South Carolina.
In a statement, Audi said the factory will create about 4,500 jobs, with production slated to start in the early 2030s. "Georgia combines an investment-ready site, skilled workforce, established automotive supplier network and strong logistics infrastructure," the company said. "The plant will be designed around Audi's future manufacturing requirements."
Audi had been the only German auto brand without a U.S. factory, building most of its U.S.-market cars in Germany, Mexico and Central and Eastern Europe, leaving it particularly exposed to tariffs. Audi says tariffs cut its profits by about 1.2 billion euros in 2025 and expects a similar hit this year; it sold about 165,000 cars in the United States last year, down 16% from 2024.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 佐治亚州 Macon 市中心 Cherry Street 街景资料照片（2024 年 7 月摄，新厂拟建于该市）。照片：Thomson200 摄，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / File photo: Cherry Street in downtown Macon, Georgia, July 2024 (the planned plant will be built in the city). Photo by Thomson200, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- 2026-10-24Trump to Announce Audi Plant Plan in Macon, Georgia: 200,000 SUVs a Year, Plus 25,000 More in South Carolina
- 2026-10-24Follow-Up: Trump Formally Announces Audi's First U.S. Plant in Macon, Georgia: $4.2 Billion, Construction Next Month, About 4,500 JobsThis story
