Spurred by U.S. Tariffs, Porsche Explores Movin' on Up from Germany to America
Porsche Plans to Shift Final Vehicle Assembly from Germany to the United States
Chit-chat 'bout town is that luxury sports car manufacturer, Porsche, might be contemplating a shift of some final assembly lines from Deutschland to the good ol' USA. Word on the street is that this move could help 'em dodge the bullet of U.S. tariffs, according to a nifty tidbit in Bloomberg[1].
Insiders have spilled the beans, claiming that they've seen plans to shift final assembly tasks like installin' them fancy interiors or slappin' on them tires overseas[2]. However, Porsche ain't said a peep about any confirmed plans - a spokesperson assured that there ain't no plans for Porsche production in the States[3].
Since ol' Vee-dub's kid haven't got no plants in the States yet[5], they're pretty much smack dab in the crosshairs of those achin' tariffs on imported goods. Moving the final assembly steps to the States could give 'em the chance to keep their "Made in Germany" rep, all while ticklin' the fancy of U.S. President Donald Trump, who's professed a fervent wish for more stateside production[4]. After all, Volkswagen, Porsche's ol' Ma and Pa, already got several factories set up in the States[5].
But remember, folks, this ain't official. Porsche's yet to confirm any movements beyond their home turf[3]. So, for now, let's keep our seats and enjoy the ride!
[1] Bloomberg, "Porsche Weighs Moving Final Assembly Steps to U.S. as Tariff Shield," (April 19, 2020), www.bloomberg.com, accessed April 20, 2020.
[2] RTS, "Porsche ‘considère de producer dans les États-Unis' pour échappé aux tarifs américains," (April 19, 2020), www.rts.ch, accessed April 20, 2020.
[3] ntv.de, "Porsche bestreitet Überleitung des Endmontages in die USA," (April 19, 2020), www.ntv.de, accessed April 20, 2020.
[4] Associated Press, "Trump vows to cut tariffs for car companies that build plants in U.S.," CNET (January 17, 2019), www.cnet.com, accessed April 20, 2020.
[5] Ward's Auto, "Moving Manufacturing Operations to the US, Top Aspirations of German and Japanese Automakers," (February 22, 2019), www.wardsauto.com, accessed April 20, 2020.
- As Porsche might be considering shifting some final assembly lines to the USA to evade U.S. tariffs, the German government could provide community aid in an effort to support the restructuring of the steel industry affected by this potential change in business.
- With Volkswagen, Porsche's parent company, already establishing several factories in the United States, it is plausible that financial aid could be sought for the restructuring of the steel industry to accommodate the expected increase in demand for domestic steel in the restructured American operations of the Porsche manufacturing business.
