Audi is coming to Georgia. President Donald Trump revealed Saturday night that the German luxury brand will spend about $4 billion on its first assembly plant in the United States, a factory expected to employ roughly 4,500 people.

Trump made the announcement during a campaign rally in Perry just south of Macon with the Nov. 3 midterm elections little more than a week away. The plant will rise at the Middle Georgia Mega Site and is designed to turn out as many as 200,000 vehicles a year.

Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner joined the president on stage. He said the company plans to build its largest and most upscale SUVs in middle Georgia and called the project a long-term bet on American buyers. A U.S. official said the lineup is expected to include the Q7, Q8 and the new Q9.

When work begins

Construction is set to start in 2027 with the first vehicles rolling off the line in the early 2030s. Audi says it picked the site for its ready-to-build land, skilled workers, supplier network and room to grow. Gov. Brian Kemp welcomed the investment as a major win for the state.

Audi also plans to build about 25,000 vehicles a year in South Carolina at the plant parent company Volkswagen is putting up for its Scout brand in Blythewood near Columbia. Some of those vehicles would be shipped overseas.

The tariff backdrop

Right now Audi imports every car it sells in America from Europe or Mexico. Trump's tariffs on autos and parts cost the company about 1.2 billion euros last year. Its U.S. sales are down 16% so far in 2026.

The president has pushed automakers to build more in America and argues his tariffs are bringing factories home. Critics counter that the import taxes have raised car prices and that trade uncertainty has stalled other investments. They also note that jobs in vehicle and parts manufacturing have slipped since he returned to office.

The timing carries political weight. Georgia has close races for both the U.S. Senate and governor this fall and Republicans are eager to talk about jobs. A gold Audi with factory plates sat parked outside the rally.

Other automakers are making similar moves. Toyota said in July it will spend $3.6 billion to expand truck production in San Antonio and shift some work from Mexico.