The dismissal of 371 employees at one of the last two car factories in Belgium has now reached the Prime Minister's desk.
The Belgian politicians want to see Audi's factory in the country close. If that happens, it will be only Chinese Volvos still present in Belgium.
Last week, the German media could reveal that Audi has plans to move the production of the Q8 e-tron, the only car the brand builds in Belgium, to Mexico.
And that has got Prime Minister Alexander De Croo out of his chair. On Friday last week, the country's leader thus met with the Audi top brass to discuss the future of the factory.
This is written by the Belgian media VRT .
For Alexander De Croo to meet with Audi's management, he told the press that production at the factory is 'secured'. At least until 2027, when the car brand plans to phase out the current Q8.
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In front of the press, the prime minister acknowledged that cars are already being built in many places in Europe, and that this may help put pressure on the factory in Brussels. Still, De Croo allowed himself to single out Volvo.
The factory, which the Swedish-Chinese brand manages in the city of Ghent, has been expanded several times in recent years.
And now there are many indications that Volvo is moving even more of its production to Belgium. The brand's Chinese management fears an announced tariff from the EU.
A tariff that the EU is considering whether to introduce retroactively against the Chinese car manufacturers. The EU fears that the car brands receive illegal state subsidies from the communist regime in the country. Read more about it here .