This was a very big week for Volvo in South Carolina. The company, which started production a few months ago at their new factory in Berkeley County, SC, began exporting its first cars from the Port of Charleston.
That was just one of the many things being celebrated at the 2019 South Carolina Automotive Summit, which wraps up today at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Greenville.
Xinhua/usatsimg Half of Volvo's production is targeted for export, which the company has said could take a massive hit if President Trump goes through with putting a tax or a tariff on cars imported to the United States. The European Union has already threatened to do the same in retaliation.
With both BMW and Volvo, South Carolina's Commerce Secretary says there is a real fear. When it comes to the possible automotive tariffs, Secretary Bobby Hitt says from the state's tire manufactures and suppliers to the automakers themselves, South Carolina could be hit the hardest.
President Trump has less than 90 days to make a decision.