BMW SA 'not exposed'

VAN BINSBERGEN: CARMAKER'S BOSS SAYS TARIFFS WON'T AFFECT GROUP

- Roy Cokayne

MW South Africa boss Peter van Binsbergen says the uncertainty around US tariffs imposed on vehicle imports from South Africa and the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) will not affect the group in the short term.

"Currently " this year and in next year's plan " there are no exports to the US in our production plan, which is fully maxed out on demand," he said.

"The US is a customer market for the [BMW] Rosslyn factory. In the last three years of the previous X3 we exported a lot to the US, and we had about 10 to 15% of our volume going to the US," he said, adding the group was not currently exporting to that market.

"Right now, we are not at all exposed to the current tariff uncertainty," Van Binsbergen said.

But he noted that the US had always been an important customer of BMW SA. "Long term, South Africa, our industry, and [we] definitely want the US as a customer," he stressed.

'Agoa must remain'

"A big market like the US needs to be a customer of the South African auto industry. We always want to count on the US as a market, which is why we believe Agoa benefits must remain," he said.

Van Binsbergen said to secure the future of vehicle production in SA, it was essential for the automotive industry that there be bilateral trade agreements between SA and the United Kingdom, Europe and the US.