BMW Spartanburg Responds After U.S. Advisor Calls Operations "A Scam"
SPARTANBURG, SC—BMW Spartanburg is pushing back against recent comments from White House Senior Trade Advisor Peter Navarro, who criticized the automaker’s U.S. business model during an appearance on CNBC. Navarro described foreign automaker operations as “a scam” and singled out BMW’s Spartanburg plant, suggesting American workers are left with lower-value jobs while profits and advanced manufacturing stay overseas.
“You take automobiles, what we’re doing now is a scam—like BMW comes to Spartanburg, South Carolina, and all we do is assemble German transmissions and autos,” Navarro said. “They get all the good jobs. They get all the good profits, and we get stuck with a hindsight.”
BMW, which has faced past criticism from President Donald Trump, swiftly defended its contributions to the U.S. economy. The company highlighted its longstanding investment in American manufacturing, especially at its Spartanburg facility—the largest BMW production plant in the world.
In a statement, BMW emphasized the scale and impact of its Spartanburg operations. The facility spans over eight million square feet and houses three body shops, two paint shops, two assembly halls, and a metal stamping operation. Since opening in 1992, BMW has invested more than $14.8 billion in the plant, which employs over 11,000 people. The team builds about 1,500 vehicles per day, with parts sourced from hundreds of U.S.-based suppliers.
In 2024 alone, the plant exported roughly 225,000 vehicles worth over $10 billion—earning the title of the top U.S. automotive exporter by value. Since 2014, more than 2.7 million vehicles have been shipped overseas from Spartanburg, with total exports exceeding $104 billion.
“Plant Spartanburg is not just an assembly plant,” a company spokesperson said. “It is a cornerstone of our global production network and a major driver of economic growth in the United States. We export more vehicles from the U.S. than we import into the country.” The plant manufactures the X3, X3 M, X4, X4 M, X5, X5 M, X6, X6 M, X7, and XM models.
BMW also underscored its broader impact on South Carolina’s economy. The Spartanburg plant contributes an estimated $26.7 billion to the state’s economy and supports nearly 43,000 jobs, generating $3.1 billion in wages and salaries. These figures directly challenge Navarro’s suggestion that the company’s U.S. presence offers little benefit to American workers.
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State officials were quick to support BMW in response to Navarro’s remarks. “BMW has been in South Carolina for over 30 years and has proven to be one of the best corporate citizens in our state,” said Senator Lindsey Graham on X. “Their presence is a major benefit to the South Carolina economy, and it is much appreciated.”
Congressman William Timmons added: “I can assure you that BMW is good for South Carolina and good for America.”
BMW also took the opportunity to promote international trade collaboration. The company called for a renewed U.S.–EU agreement to remove trade barriers and boost shared economic growth. “Free trade and international cooperation are of immense importance worldwide, serving as key drivers of growth and progress,” BMW said. “They have always been a guiding principle of the BMW Group.”
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