BMW was the largest automotive exporter by value from the United States during 2021.
It marks the eighth time in a row that the company has claimed this accolade, in a year that also saw BMW break production records.
More than 257,000 BMWs produced in Spartanburg, South Carolina, were exported last year. They added up to a total value in excess of $10.1 billion (£7.45 billion).
Electrifying the production process
BMW’s Spartanburg production facility, which is the company’s largest in the world, made 433,810 vehicles in total. All of these were from BMW’s ‘X’ SUV range, with the X5 the single most popular model.
Investment in electrification saw Spartanburg employees build around 70,000 plug-in hybrids. The X5 xDrive45e accounted for close to 40,000 vehicles, along with 30,000 of the smaller X3 xDrive30e.
The radical BMW XM plug-in hybrid, the first electrified model to wear the ‘M’ badge, will enter production at the American factory later this year.
By land and by sea
SUVs made at Spartanburg during 2021 were exported to around 120 countries, using six different American ports. Rail shipments were also used to send vehicles to Canada.
China was the destination for almost a quarter (24.1 percent) of all exports. Germany took second place with 12.3 percent, with South Korea in third (9.4 percent). The United Kingdom received 5.4 percent of all Spartanburg’s exports.
More than $12 billion (£8.86 billion) has been invested in the South Carolina factory by BMW since 1992. It now employs 11,000 people, and can build up to 1,500 vehicles every day.
“Claiming the top spot for U.S. automobile exports by value rounds out a very successful year for Plant Spartanburg. I’m incredibly proud of our associates and the resilience they have shown the past year,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW manufacturing. “This achievement demonstrates BMW’s trusted partnership with this state and its continued commitment to the United States.”
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