United States President, Donald Trump, on Saturday announced that Audi will build a $4.2 billion automobile plant in nearby Macon, Georgia, where 200,000 SUVs will be produced yearly.

Mr Trump disclosed this at a campaign rally in Perry, near Macon, in Central Georgia, for Republican candidates, as well as keep his vow to bolster American manufacturing in the final days before the November 3 midterm elections.

Mr Trump at the rally said, “Think of that. 200,000 cars a year. That’s incredible.” 

He also attributed the decision by the German luxury brand owned by the Volkswagen Group, to his aggressive and unpopular tariff policies.

Production is expected to begin early next decade.

Mr Trump won Georgia in 2024, after losing in 2020, and he is making efforts to ensure voters elect the Republican Party’s candidates to retain its majority seats in the House and Senate. 

Also, chairman of the board of management at Audi, Gernot Döllner, who spoke at the rally, stated, “We are planning to bring our biggest and most premium SUVs, and produce them here in Macon, Georgia. This is a long-term investment, because we believe in the American market.”

Audi in a statement said that construction of the plant, targeting 4,500 jobs, will begin in 2027 and production slated for early 2030s.

A U.S. official told Reuters that the Audi plant is expected to assemble the Audi Q7, Q8 and Q9 SUVs and the company to build 25,000 vehicles yearly in neighbouring South Carolina.