PSA Group has been hard at work on its plan to return to the U.S. by 2026. They already have a brand chosen that will lead the launch (bur aren't saying if it will be Citroen, DS, Peugeot, or the recently acquired Opel/Vauxhall) and has open their U.S. headquarters in Georgia. The next step is figuring out where they'll begin selling vehicles.
Larry Dominique, CEO of PSA Group North America told reporters that he has his eyes on 15 states to launch. Among the states mentioned include,
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
"Those states are of the most interest to me at this point in time because they're high volume and import receptive," Dominique told Automotive News.
But there is an elephant in the room concerning PSA's plan, tariffs. As we have been reporting for the past couple of months, the U.S. Commerce Department is conducting an investigation into imported cars and car parts as a matter of national security. This could result in vehicles being hit with a 25 percent tariff.
“Tariffs are on our minds. Tariffs impact how fast and at what price point we import vehicles into the U.S. I’m crossing my fingers," said Dominique.
According to Bloomberg, PSA Group could look into entering the Canadian market first and play the waiting game for the U.S. if tariffs do go into effect. The company may also offer more expensive vehicles to balance out the hit made by tariffs.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Bloomberg
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