The punitive tariffs on imported cars announced by US President Donald Trump are also putting the Saxon automotive industry under pressure. "The tariffs are nonsensical and also harm US consumers - but they alone are not the main problem, it's that everything seems to be hitting the German automotive industry at once," said Jens Katzek, Managing Director of the Automotive Cluster East Germany (ACOD).
Firstly, the faltering sales of electromobility, then the high energy prices, the strong dominance of Chinese competition, the growing bureaucracy and the associated costs - and now the tariffs too, Katzek listed the current burdens on the industry. At the same time, he emphasized: "The BMW plant in Leipzig is currently producing at record levels."
