Kia’s U.S. division set a new sales record last month despite the ongoing tariff war.
On Sunday, Yahoo Finance featured an exclusive interview with Kia’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Steven Center, as their top story.
Kia sold 63,303 vehicles in the U.S. in February, setting a new all-time record for the month. This marks a 7.2% increase compared to the same period last year.
The headline of the Yahoo Finance article read, Kia Surges in U.S. Market While Sidestepping Tariffs.
In the interview, Steven Center said, “Over the past few years, we’ve built a comprehensive lineup of both internal combustion engine and electric vehicles for the U.S. market.” He also predicted, “This will continue to drive improvements in our performance moving forward.”
Kia’s growth potential is powerful because the company has developed strategies to avoid the tariff increases imposed by the Trump administration. Kia has proactively localized production, with many of its vehicles now manufactured in the U.S.
According to Yahoo Finance, Kia plans to further shift some of its EV production to the U.S.
The company is currently building a $7.6 billion EV manufacturing plant in Bryan County, Georgia.
Steven Center emphasized, “We started pursuing the Georgia plant project long before the tariff war began. We’ve been doing business in the U.S. for over 30 years and continue investing billions of dollars into American manufacturing and supply chains.”
Yahoo Finance praised Kia’s foresight in this strategy, noting it has helped minimize the impact of tariff hikes on the company’s operations.
Regarding President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, Kia’s COO, Steven Center, explained, “We’ve held several meetings over the past few months to discuss this issue and have developed strategic business plans to navigate it. Our goal is to ensure we operate in the best interests of our customers and dealers.”
He continued, “We are committed to continuing our growth in the U.S. market.”
Since taking office, Trump has consistently mentioned plans to impose automobile tariffs. Last month, he specifically referenced a 25% tariff rate on vehicles.
On March 4, Trump initiated a 25% tariff on automobiles from Mexico and Canada, but he has since granted a one-month delay on the tariff implementation.
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