Decline in BMW profits: Tariffs, weak China, and currency fluctuations weigh on the giant

Crisis in the automotive sector: BMW's first-quarter results

The German automotive giant BMW is facing serious challenges in 2024. The company reports a significant 23% drop in its net profit for the first quarter, which amounts to 1.67 billion euros.

"In the first three months of the year, we received more orders in Europe than in any other three-month period in the company's history," said CEO Oliver Zipse.

Main factors for the negative results:

• US tariffs: The effect of trade policies is exerting direct pressure on margins.
• Weakness in China: Reduced demand in the largest market for German manufacturers is seriously shrinking volumes.
• Currency fluctuations: Volatility in exchange rates is further complicating the financial picture.

BMW's revenue decreased by 8.1% to 31 billion euros, and the total number of cars sold dropped to 565,780 units. Despite record interest in Europe, it is not enough to compensate for the losses from Asia and global economic turmoil.

Future prospects and management changes

The company plans to rely on strict cost discipline to optimize its operational processes. At the same time, a key leadership change is upcoming – on May 14, Milan Nedeljković will take over the post from the current CEO Oliver Zipse.