German carmakers Volkswagen and BMW have reported booming sales in the United States, just hours before US President Donald Trump is expected to announce a massive round of tariffs on EU goods.
Volkswagen said its first-quarter sales rose 7.1% to 87,915 vehicles, driven by strong performances from the Taos, Jetta and ID.4 models.
At the same time, Volkswagen subsidiary Audi reported a 3% drop in sales compared to the first quarter of 2024, although March sales were up 8%.
BMW sold 87,615 vehicles under its core BMW brand in the first quarter, an increase of 3.7% compared to the same period last year. Sales of its electric vehicles were also impressive, up more than 25%.
The results suggest that long-threatened tariffs on imports from the EU may have led to preemptive purchases by US consumers.
The United States currently imposes a 2.5% tariff on passenger cars from the EU, with a 25% levy on pickup trucks and heavy vehicles. Trump has announced additional tariffs of 25% on cars from the EU.
