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      02-11-2021, 10:07 AM   #1
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BMW Is Largest U.S. Automotive Exporter by Value for 7th Consecutive Year

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BMW Manufacturing Is Largest U.S. Automotive Exporter by Value for 7th Consecutive Year
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Export Value From South Carolina Plant Totals More Than $8.9 Billion in 2020.
Plant Sets New High for Six-Month Production Period Despite Production Interruption.


Spartanburg, S.C. - February 11, 2021… For the seventh consecutive year, BMW Manufacturing led the nation in automotive exports by value, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce. BMW Manufacturing exported 218,820 Sports Activity Vehicles and Coupes during 2020 with an export value of more than $8.9 billion. The BMWs produced in Spartanburg, South Carolina, were exported through the Port of Charleston, SC (more than 189,000 units), and through five other southeastern ports: Savannah, GA; Brunswick, GA; Jacksonville, FL; Miami, FL; and Everglades, FL. More than 13,000 BMWs were also exported via rail.

The top five export countries from BMW Manufacturing were China (23.3% of export volume), Germany (12.9%), South Korea (7.8%), Canada (6%), and Russia (5.3%).

“Claiming the top spot once again for U.S. automotive exports is a direct result of the commitment and dedication of the Plant Spartanburg team during the challenging 2020 production year,” said Knudt Flor, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. “BMW is proud to contribute to the U.S. balance of trade as we continue to be the leading manufacturer of premium vehicles for the world.”

“South Carolina’s long, successful partnership with BMW proves that the growth potential in South Carolina is limitless,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “As BMW celebrates leading the nation in automotive exports by value for the seventh straight year, we know that with our pro-business climate and elite workforce they have only scratched the surface of what they can achieve in South Carolina.”

“When BMW announced more than 28 years ago the decision to locate the company’s first North American manufacturing operations in South Carolina, it was a true game changer for the Palmetto State,” said S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. “The fact that our state remains the leader in the export sales of completed passenger vehicles, particularly during a challenging year, is a reflection of the incredible commitment and partnership between BMW and South Carolina.”

“For more than 25 years, SC Ports has had a strong partnership with BMW Manufacturing,” said Jim Newsome, SC Ports President and CEO. “BMW exports 70 percent of its South Carolina-made vehicles to more than 125 countries through the Port of Charleston. We are proud to support the shipping needs of this world-class automotive company, and we look forward to continued success for BMW.”

Challenging But Successful Production Year

Like all automotive manufacturers, Plant Spartanburg experienced a production interruption due to the coronavirus pandemic. After a five-week non-production period, associates returned for one shift on May 4. With new health guidelines and procedures in place, production slowly ramped up as the supply chain stabilized and customers returned in the summer. During the last six months of the year, Plant Spartanburg produced nearly 218,000 BMWs, a record for any six-month period in the factory’s history. All totaled, the plant produced 361,365 vehicles for the entire year 2020.

The plug-in hybrid electric variants of the plant’s two most popular vehicles set production records in 2020. The BMW X3 xDrive30e (22,964 units) and the BMW X5 xDrive45e (24,248 units) achieved all-time highs, in part, because of a 2019 expansion of the battery assembly hall. These 47,212 electrified BMWs made up 13 percent of the plant’s total production last year. BMW has assembled batteries for electrified vehicles since 2015, making the BMW Group a pioneer of electromobility in the United States.

BMW Manufacturing currently produces about 1,500 vehicles each day, exporting more than two-thirds of its models to 125 global markets. The model portfolio includes five top-selling BMW X models, four Motorsport X models and two plug-in hybrid electric X models. The factory has a production capacity of up to 450,000 vehicles and employs more than 11,000 people.


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      02-11-2021, 11:38 AM   #2
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I don't believe this article. Something is off. The forum "enthusiasts" told me BMW is about to collapse.
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      02-11-2021, 01:04 PM   #3
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At the end of the day, someone or some other country is buying BMWs if not USA/Canada. This could also means that while volume is lower, the price of vehicles have increased and people are still buying. Either way, seems like BMW knows what they're doing whether or not the forums like what they're doing and the direction they're headed.
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      02-11-2021, 01:49 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexFL View Post
I don't believe this article. Something is off. The forum "enthusiasts" told me BMW is about to collapse.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheBingoBalls View Post
At the end of the day, someone or some other country is buying BMWs if not USA/Canada. This could also means that while volume is lower, the price of vehicles have increased and people are still buying. Either way, seems like BMW knows what they're doing whether or not the forums like what they're doing and the direction they're headed.
These numbers are great, but are also the non pig-snout models. This is only the X models from SoCar. It’ll be interesting to track volumes of the new pig-snout models, which obv aren’t produced in the U.S.
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      02-11-2021, 02:38 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by YolkyPalky View Post
These numbers are great, but are also the non pig-snout models. This is only the X models from SoCar. It’ll be interesting to track volumes of the new pig-snout models, which obv aren’t produced in the U.S.
I have some news for you. The first "pig-snout model", the 4 series coupe is selling extremely well at my local dealership . But I can't give you any numbers.
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      02-11-2021, 02:52 PM   #6
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I have some news for you. The first "pig-snout model", the 4 series coupe is selling extremely well at my local dealership . But I can't give you any numbers.
Cool, I hope it does well actually. It seems to have been such a polarizing design (either love it or hate it, though most forum "enthusiasts" seem to be in the latter camp), it will be interesting to see how it sells not only in U.S. but Worldwide. Time will tell but again I hope for BMW it does well.
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      02-11-2021, 04:22 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexFL View Post
I don't believe this article. Something is off. The forum "enthusiasts" told me BMW is about to collapse.
Nobody said BMW is about to collapse and this article doesn't prove health either.

BMW is a midsize luxury car manufacturer, with this they don't have nearly as many plants as the large manufacturers and far more likely to need to export because of it. 1/4 of the vehicles being manufactured in SC are going to China, most wouldn't consider this a good long term plan and at a minimum they would prefer to manufacture them in Asia because of overall costs to build and ship.

It is also possible to export a medium priced luxury vehicle from the U.S. to China and close to zero chance of exporting a mid priced or economy car.
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      02-11-2021, 05:15 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David70 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexFL View Post
I don't believe this article. Something is off. The forum "enthusiasts" told me BMW is about to collapse.
Nobody said BMW is about to collapse and this article doesn't prove health either.

BMW is a midsize luxury car manufacturer, with this they don't have nearly as many plants as the large manufacturers and far more likely to need to export because of it. 1/4 of the vehicles being manufactured in SC are going to China, most wouldn't consider this a good long term plan and at a minimum they would prefer to manufacture them in Asia because of overall costs to build and ship.

It is also possible to export a medium priced luxury vehicle from the U.S. to China and close to zero chance of exporting a mid priced or economy car.
Well actually I think that BMW has a really wide production network:

4 plants Germany
USA
México
Brazil
South Africa
UK Oxford + Goodwood
China (2 plants)
Partner plants:
Austria @ Magna
Netherlands @Nedcar
Russia
India
Thailand
Egypt
...

And some more engine production plants.
By the way: with more than 700 000 units, China produces the most BMW's.

But you are right in one point, this doesn't prove much as spartanburg only produces SUV's, and that segment ist still rock solid. I think the years 2022 and 2023 will show us how healthy BMW is.
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      02-12-2021, 04:47 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexFL View Post
I don't believe this article. Something is off. The forum "enthusiasts" told me BMW is about to collapse.
Something is off then - they don't know what they’re talking about . Developing a new model isn't easy. While the X1, X2, and X4 aren’t really game changers, the X7 probably is, and the XM is next. Gee dude theyre bringing a model for every number now. Same goes for non-X models. A company that is about to collapse wouldn't do this (I think).
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      02-12-2021, 07:37 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MoeMuc View Post
Well actually I think that BMW has a really wide production network:

4 plants Germany
USA
México
Brazil
South Africa
UK Oxford + Goodwood
China (2 plants)
Partner plants:
Austria @ Magna
Netherlands @Nedcar
Russia
India
Thailand
Egypt
...

And some more engine production plants.
By the way: with more than 700 000 units, China produces the most BMW's.

But you are right in one point, this doesn't prove much as spartanburg only produces SUV's, and that segment ist still rock solid. I think the years 2022 and 2023 will show us how healthy BMW is.
Quote:
VW - As of 2019, it has 136 production plants, and employs around 670,000 people around the world
They have no interest in building vehicles in the U.S. and shipping them to China or Russia. They look at the BMW "accomplishment" and laugh. The goal of producing vehicles in a high labor cost facility and shipping them to the other side of the world to compete with others building them in the region at a low labor cost facility isn't something anyone strives for, they deal with it.

I think they are also paying a duty on every vehicle coming in from the U.S. to China. I think BMW opened a plant in Mexico a year or two ago, likely be more competitive out of this plant as labor is lower and I don't think they have the same level of duty going to China.

With their Thailand facility, I work at a plant near Bangkok and their plant (spend about 40% of my time in normal times) where we build heavy equipment that stays in the region. Our average hourly labor rate at this plant is a little over $2 an hour and we can't compete in China (labor, material, overhead and Chinese government support of their businesses). We have no goals of shipping finished products from the U.S. to China. BMW will either find another place to build this vehicle or it will eventually won't be sold there.
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Last edited by David70; 02-12-2021 at 07:54 AM..
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