BMW’s Plant in Spartanburg is the Largest Automotive Exporter in the US

According to the US Department of Commerce, the BMW’s plant in Spartanburg is the largest automotive exporter in the country. The criteria for this choice was the value, which means that BMW brings the most value to the nation in its category.

During the last year, BMW exported 287,700 X Division models. Most of them (86%) were sent out through the Port of Charleston. The rest were exported through five other ports in the Southeast: Savannah, Ga., Brunswick, Ga., Jacksonville, Fla., Miami, Fla., and Everglades, Fla.

Knudt Flor, the President and CEO of BMW Manufacturing Co., said:

We had a record-breaking production and export year in 2016, and these new export figures reinforce BMW’s commitment to South Carolina and the United States. Our vehicles are in high demand. Customers from 140 countries around the world are eagerly awaiting our vehicles. We build our product with precision and pride every day.

During 2016, the plant produced a record number of 411,171 vehicles. Around 70% of them found their owners all around the world.

The plant’s employees produced a record 411,171 vehicles during 2016. About 70 percent of those were shipped to customers around the world.

Bobby Hitt, South Carolina Secretary of Commerce, said in a statement:

In 1994, the first South Carolina-produced BMW rolled off the assembly line at the Spartanburg facility, forever transforming the economy of our state. Since that time, BMW’s continued success and commitment to South Carolina have shown the world that we are a state with a strong business environment and skilled workforce that are unmatched.

The company plans to increase the plant’s capacity to 450,000 vehicles per year.