Tariffs Could Hit Audi Hard and the New Q9 Is in the Crosshairs

[Source: Reuters]

Stop us if you heard this before but Audi is facing increasing pressure from U.S. tariffs. We have been talking about tariffs for a while now. Audi sales have already taken a hit, but they were managing it. However, the tariff situation is very fluid and now President Donald Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on EU car imports to 25 percent. According to a report by Reuters, Audi CFO Juergen Rittersberger said that would have a ‘significant’ impact on the company.

The current 15 percent tariffs have caused enough pain for the German automaker. However, Trump is threating the increase because he says the EU has failed to comply with last year’s U.S.-EU trade agreement. “One thing is clear: if these tariffs are imposed, it would place a significant burden on our company,” Rittersberger said, adding that Audi was still assessing the situation.

U.S. Production

As we discussed before, Audi is particularly venerable to tariff pressure as they do not produce any vehicles in America. The much-anticipated Audi Q9 SUV will be produced at its Bratislava plant ‌in ⁠Slovakia and therefore be subjected to the tariffs like their other models.

For years Audi has considered manufacturing models in the U.S., but they never pulled the trigger. Rittersberger said the carmaker is now exploring options with Volkswagen. The Scout plant in South Carolina is considered a likely option.

Potential Impact

Audi recently released their 2026 profit forecast but that was at the current 15 percent tariff rate. It is reported that those tariffs already cost the Volkswagen Group about 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) a year. Nearly doubling the tariff rate will obviously cause more financial pain.

Audi is running out of room to wait and see. If tariffs jump to 25 percent, this stops being a manageable headwind and becomes a defining moment for Audi’s entire U.S. strategy. For enthusiasts, that could mean higher prices, fewer configurations, and potentially delayed or canceled models, especially big-ticket launches like the Q9 that already sit squarely in the tariff crosshairs. In the short term, Audi will likely absorb some of the cost, pass some on to buyers, and adjust its lineup where it can. But if these tariffs stick, expect deeper changes.