Believe it or not the USA’s largest exporter of cars is not GM, Ford or even Chrysler — it’s the German brand BMW.
BMW Manufacturing has announced it exported 272,346 BMW X models from its Spartanburg plant in South Carolina during 2017.
Nearly 87 percent of these vehicles were exported through the Port of Charleston, with an export value of about $US8.76 billion, according to data from the US Department of Commerce.
This confirms the South Carolina factory is the leading US automotive exporter by value.
The remaining 13 percent of BMW X models were exported through five other southeastern ports: Savannah, GA; Brunswick, GA; Jacksonville, FL; Miami, FL; and Everglades, FL.
All up the Spartanburg plant exported more than 70 percent of its total production volume of 371,284 units.
BMW announced in June that it will invest a further $600 million in the Spartanburg plant from 2018 through 2021, to support manufacturing infrastructure for future generations of X models.
An additional 1000 jobs will also be added through 2021.
“As the nation’s leader in the export sales of completed passenger vehicles, South Carolina accounts for more than 16 percent of the total US market share,” Secretary of Commerce, Bobby Hitt, said.
“This figure perfectly depicts the state’s unmatched global connectivity and status as a major player in the global automotive industry.”
BMW Plant Spartanburg produces 1400 vehicles each day, with a model portfolio that includes the BMW X3, X4, X5 and X6 Sports Activity Vehicles and Coupes (and their variants).
The all-new BMW X7 will debut in late 2018.
In 2017, the Spartanburg plant produced 371,284 vehicles.
The factory has a production capacity of 450,000 vehicles and employs 10,000 people.