BMW Manufacturing Remains Largest Automotive Exporter By Value in the United States

BMW Manufacturing has confirmed that it led the nation in automotive exports by value during 2025, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Last year, the South Carolina plant exported nearly 200,000 BMW X models with a total export value of $9 billion. Additionally, from 2014 – 2025, Plant Spartanburg exported nearly 3 million vehicles with an export value of $113 billion.

The BMWs assembled in Spartanburg, South Carolina, were primarily exported through the Port of Charleston, SC, and through four additional ports: Brunswick, GA; Jacksonville, FL; Everglades, FL; and Baltimore, MD. More than 14,000 BMWs were also exported via rail.

“Free trade and open markets enable growth and prosperity. Our plants — and above all the strong supplier networks in each respective region — benefit from this,” said Milan Nedeljković, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production.

“BMW Manufacturing is proud to be the largest automotive exporter by value in the United States, a distinction that underscores our commitment to both the state of South Carolina and the nation’s economic strength,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. “Our exports play a crucial role in supporting a favorable balance of trade, which is essential for sustained economic growth.”

During 2025, associates assembled 412,799 BMW X models. This marks the third-highest total in the plant’s 32-year history and the seventh time the plant has exceeded 400,000 units.

Since 1992, the BMW Group has invested nearly $16 billion in its South Carolina operations. BMW Manufacturing is the largest BMW Group plant in the world, assembling more than 1,500 vehicles each day. The plant is an important part of BMW’s global production network and plays a critical role in meeting the high demand for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles and Coupes in the U.S. and around the world. About 50 percent of its vehicles are shipped to nearly 120 global markets, making the BMW Group the largest automotive exporter by value in the United States for more than a decade. In 2025, more than 52 percent of BMW vehicles sold in the United States came from Plant Spartanburg. The model portfolio includes five top-selling BMW X models, three Motorsport X models, and two plug-in hybrid electric vehicle X models. The factory has an annual production capacity of up to 450,000 vehicles and has more than 12,000 jobs onsite. 

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