BMW sees tariffs easing and China stabilising in 2026

FRANKFURT, Mar 12 (AFP): German carmaker BMW said Thursday it expected tariff wars to ease in 2026 saw a tentative turnaround in China after posting results dampened by both trade tensions and competition from Chinese rivals.

On the issue of tariffs, BMW finance boss Walter Mertl said he was "assuming there will be new agreements in the second half of the year".

Mertl said he expected "an agreement between the USA and Europe will be finalised, allowing us to import at 0 per cent" as well as "positive agreements between the US, Mexico, Canada and other countries".

BMW has its largest plant in South Carolina and is the United States' largest car exporter, meaning it would stand to profit from the implementation of an EU-US deal unveiled last July that would see the EU rate on US cars reduced to zero. All tariffs had in total cost the company roughly 1.75 billion euros in the past year, BMW said.