- Peter Navarro claimed BMW only assembles German transmissions and vehicles in South Carolina.
- The German carmaker has invested over $14.8 billion and employs 11,000 workers at Spartanburg.
- Since 1994, the plant has assembled over 2.7M vehicles, making up 63% of BMW’s total production.
Peter Navarro, President Trump’s top tariff advisor, has set his sights on BMW’s vast production complex in Spartanburg, South Carolina, calling it a “scam.” BMW isn’t just taking it on the chin as they’ve fired back, emphasizing the crucial role their US operations play in their global network. State officials, too, have rallied to the company’s side, stressing that BMW’s presence has been a boon for the local economy.
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Just a few days ago, Navarro made headlines when he described Tesla as a “car assembler,” rather than a car manufacturer, in defending the administration’s strong support for robust tariffs. He later singled out BMW’s local operations, claiming that only Germany gets the good jobs, while the US is stuck with lower-value jobs.
Read: BMW Is America’s Top Vehicle Exporter By Value
“You take automobiles, what we’re doing now is a scam—like BMW comes to Spartanburg, South Carolina, and all we do is assemble German transmissions and autos,” he said. “They get all the good jobs. They get all the good profits, and we get stuck with a hindsight.”
That drew the ire of BMW. In a fiery press release shortly after Navarro’s comments came to light, BMW said it has invested more than $14.8 billion into its Spartanburg plant since 1992 and currently employs 11,000 people at the site. Approximately 1,500 vehicles are built at the facility every day, using parts sourced from hundreds of suppliers across the United States.
“The plant in Spartanburg has been an important location in our global BMW Group production network for over 30 years,” the brand continued. “It is also our largest plant worldwide, serving domestic and international markets with the highly acclaimed BMW X models. In 2024, the plant exported approximately 225,000 BMWs, with an export value exceeding $10 billion, making it the largest automotive exporter by value in the United States.”
The vehicles built at Spartanburg include the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM models. BMW estimates that the plant contributes a staggering $26.7 billion to South Carolina’s economy and supports about 43,000 jobs, with $3.1 billion in wages and salaries.
BMW’s Strategic US Presence
Not stopping there, BMW is considering ways to expand production at the Spartanburg site. In a recent analyst call, company executives revealed they are looking into adding shifts to the plant, potentially boosting production by up to 80,000 units, according to Yahoo! Finance.
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“BMW has been in South Carolina for over 30 years and has proven to be one of the best corporate citizens in our state,” Senator Lindsey Graham added. “Their presence is a major benefit to the South Carolina economy, and it is much appreciated.”
South Carolina Senator Karl Allen also came to BMW’s defense, stating, “Mr. Navarro’s characterization of BMW’s business model as detrimental to the U.S. economy and national security is not only unfounded but also overlooks the substantial benefits that BMW has brought to our state and nation.”
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