What they can do now – Diepresse.com
The United States are the second most important export market for Austria. The uncertainty in domestic industry is correspondingly large. But how do active companies such as KTM, Blum or AMAG react to the new situation in the USA?
They have been in force since midnight US east coast period: the special tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump to imports from selected countries. The states with which the USA records a high trade balance deficit are particularly affected. For the European Union, 20 percent now apply – for Chinese products due to the recent escalation between Beijing and Washington even 104 percent.
These measures also take Austria sensitive. Austria exported in 2024 were worth 16.2 billion euros to the United States – an increase of ten percent compared to the previous year. This made the United States around 8.5 percent of the total domestic exports that amounted to 191 billion euros. To Germany and even before Italy, the United States are Austria’s second most important export market.
Especially machines and vehicles
Much of these exports come from industry, especially from machine and vehicle construction as well as the pharmaceutical industry. These sectors are among the most important export industries in Austria and contributed significantly to the commercial surplus with the USA, which was around 8.5 billion euros in 2025.
With his aggressive customs policy, Trump pursues the goal of strengthening US production and persuading international partners to concessions. How strongly the EU suffer from the duration of the measures, WiFo boss Gabriel Felbermayr recently explained. If the 20 percent additional tariffs on EU exports as well as the 25 percent surcharges on automobiles and metal until 2027, « then we would expect the trade to decrease by 20 to 40 percent. »
In Austria this ensures nervousness on the executive floors. The listed rubber and rubber group Semperit, for example, has already corrected its winning expectation for the current year. Against the background of the US tariffs and a caught order situation, the company is now expecting an operational result (EBITDA) of 65 to 85 million euros-previously 70 to 90 million euros had been promised. But how is other companies working in the USA? And what can you do now?
