February 16, 2011

BMW Manufacturing Announces 2010 Export Value: More than $4 Billion Annually

Posted on behalf of BMW Manufacturing Co.

Spartanburg, S.C. - BMW Manufacturing Co. announced today that the export value of its passenger vehicles through the Port of Charleston in 2010 totaled $4.42 Billion. According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the value of BMW exports confirms the company’s Spartanburg facility as the largest vehicle exporter from the U.S. to non-NAFTA countries. In 2010, over 110,000 vehicles were exported from its South Carolina plant.

BMW’s plant in Spartanburg currently produces approximately 1,000 vehicles each day and is the exclusive exporter of passenger vehicles through the Port of Charleston to more than 130 global markets. In 2011, the plant is projected to increase annual capacity by 50% to about 240,000 vehicles and will continue its strong export activity, as this will mark the first full year of production of the new X3 and initial demand for the product is extremely favorable.

"BMW vehicles manufactured in South Carolina were a major contributor to the company’s success in 2010," said Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing Co. "Consistently strong, global demand for the X5 and X6, and now the all-new X3 to global markets, has led to a net increase in our export volume through the port."

The plant originally began vehicle production in 1994. In the last 17 years, BMW has produced over 1.7 million vehicles and, today, exports about 70% of the BMW X3 and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles as well as the X6 Sports Activity Coupe.

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Contact: Max K. Metcalf
864-989-5333
max.metcalf@bmwmc.com