Audi defends US plant announcement alongside US President Trump
Audi defends US plant announcement alongside US President Trump FRANKFURT, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Audi defended its decision to appear alongside US President Donald Trump when announcing plans for its first US factory, saying it accepted an invitation to present the project jointly with the president solely in the interests of the company.
Audi said it was aware that CEO Gernot Doellner's appearance with Trump in Georgia on Saturday had caused questions and irritation over what was perceived as political endorsement.
The Volkswagen-owned premium carmaker said the planned Georgia plant was strategically important to improve competitiveness in the United States, a market where Audi is currently not profitable despite strong growth potential.
(Reporting by Christina Amann
Writing by Christoph Steitz
Editing by David Goodman
)((christoph.steitz@thomsonreuters.com; +49 30 220 133 647))
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