BMW Spartanburg leads US auto exports with $9B in value

BMW Manufacturing says the $9 billion worth of vehicles it shipped out of the country last year led the nation in automotive exports by value in 2025.

The Spartanburg County manufacturer cited data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Last year, the company’s Plant Spartanburg exported nearly 200,000 BMW X models, according to a news release. From 2014 through 2025, Plant Spartanburg exported nearly 3 million vehicles with a combined export value of $113 billion.

The BMWs assembled in Spartanburg were primarily exported through the Port of Charleston, along with four additional ports: Brunswick, Ga.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Everglades, Fla.; and Baltimore, Md. More than 14,000 vehicles 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,” Milan Nedeljković, a member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said in the news release.

“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,” Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing, said in the release. “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. The total represents the third-highest production year in the plant’s 32-year history and the seventh time the plant has exceeded 400,000 vehicles in a year, the company says.

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.

About half of the vehicles produced at the Spartanburg plant are shipped to nearly 120 global markets. In 2025, more than 52% of BMW vehicles sold in the United States were produced at Plant Spartanburg, according to the release.

The plant’s model lineup includes five top-selling BMW X models, three Motorsport X models and two plug-in hybrid electric vehicle X models. The facility employs more than 11,000 people on-site.