BMW was named the top car exporter in the United States for the eighth consecutive year, with the German automaker exporting 257,876 X models in 2021. According to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Commerce, BMW's Spartanburg plant in South Carolina produced all of those vehicles, which netted the company an export value of around $10.1 billion.
The Spartanburg facility produces many BMW X vehicles, ranging from the smaller X3 and X4 models to the midsize X5 and X6 variants and the full-size X7. BMW exports these vehicles from the United States to 120 different countries worldwide.
The German automaker transports them mainly through the Port of Charleston, located in South Carolina. Nearly 219,000 BMW units leave the United States from that port, serving as a vital gateway for the German firm's goods to reach their valued customers worldwide.
However, that figure was not enough for the United States to become one of the top five export countries for BMW Manufacturing in 2021, as per BMW Group. China claimed the top spot in that department, with 24.1 percent of BMW's exported vehicles coming from them.
Germany came in second with 12.3 percent, while South Korea ranked third, accounting for 9.4 percent of total BMW exports last year. Canada and Great Britain rounded out the top five, with 5.6 and 5.4 percent of the exported BMW vehicles, respectively, last year.
The American arm of BMW Manufacturing can still be proud of its achievements, though, as it set a new production record for BMW X vehicles made in 2021. A total of 433,810 BMW X models were produced last year, all of which were built in the United States.
Some 179,840 of those BMW X vehicles were sold in the U.S., accounting for 53.4 percent of the brand's sales. Leading the charge for BMW were the X3 and X5, with those two models being the best-selling units for the German automaker last year.
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Apart from setting record-high production numbers, the South Carolina plant was also recognized by the J.D. Power Awards for the BMW cars. Three different models received awards for Execution, Layout (APEAL), and Initial Quality Study (IQS), and Automotive Performance.
The factory has also started producing BMW's new LCI X3, X3 M, X4, and X4 M models. There is more to come from the Spartanburg plant, with BMW also producing the X.M. model in that facility later this year. The X.M. is an important vehicle for BMW as this will be the first electrified car in the brand's M portfolio.
Expect BMW to further expand the brand's operations in its South Carolina facility, which is already capable of producing a massive 1,500 units per day. That being the case, it is highly likely that BMW will hold on to its claim as the top car exporter in the U.S. for many more years to come.
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