Tariffs hitting automakers’ sales
Audi said first-quarter deliveries fell 6.1% overall, with sales down 12% in China and 27% in North America, and it singled out U.S. import tariffs introduced in April 2025 as a factor in the North American decline. (investing.com). At the same time, the White House has been showcasing U.S. factories that say they’re benefiting from tariff protection, with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer touring plants to highlight gains. (cbc.ca)
Audi’s sales slump is colliding with Washington’s tariff victory lap. The luxury carmaker said first-quarter deliveries fell 6.1% as North America weakened sharply. (reuters.com) Audi delivered 360,106 vehicles worldwide in the first three months of 2026. China, its biggest market, fell 12% to 127,109 vehicles, and North America dropped 27% to 35,464. (reuters.com) The company said North America was hit by United States import tariffs introduced in April 2025 and by regulatory changes. Europe moved the other way, with deliveries up 5.9% to 123,724 vehicles. (reuters.com) Those tariffs are a 25% duty on imported passenger vehicles and light trucks that took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on April 3, 2025. They were imposed under Section 232, the national-security trade law the White House used for the auto action. (cbp.gov) The White House is still selling the policy as a factory boost. United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said after a two-day swing through Michigan and Ohio last week that the tariff program is “revitalizing” manufacturing, and the administration highlighted stops at Atomic Industries and Whirlpool. (ustr.gov) CBC reported that Greer’s tour was aimed at showcasing companies that say tariffs are helping them compete with imports. At Whirlpool’s plant in Clyde, Ohio, chief executive Marc Bitzer said tariffs create “a level playing field,” according to CBC. (cbc.ca) Audi is not the only premium brand under pressure in the United States, but its drop was steeper than some rivals’ early-quarter reports. BMW said its United States sales fell 3.9% to 84,231 vehicles in the quarter, while Mercedes-Benz USA reported 78,500 retail sales and said demand was strongest for sport utility vehicles built in the United States. (press.bmwgroup.com) (businesswire.com) Other import-heavy brands have already adjusted shipping plans around the tariff wall. In April 2025, Audi paused newly imported cars at United States ports, and Jaguar Land Rover stopped United States shipments for a month while it worked through a response. (usatoday.com 1) (usatoday.com 2) Audi’s quarter also shows the tariff story is not just about one market. The company tied its China decline to a broader auto slowdown, the end of Chinese subsidies, and model changes, leaving the brand squeezed in its two biggest pressure points at once. (reuters.com) For now, the administration is pointing to factory floors in Ohio and Michigan, while Audi is pointing to showrooms in North America. The same tariff policy is producing two very different scorecards. (ustr.gov) (reuters.com)
