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Dimitris Psillakis, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, was named chair of the German-American Chamber of Commerce Southern U.S. Inc. in April, taking on the role amid a challenging time both for his industry and transatlantic trade ties.
On April 24, Mr. Psillakis hosted the chamber’s members and leadership at the group’s Sandy Springs offices for an installment of its monthly breakfast series on transatlantic partnership with the Consulate General of Germany.
The group, which featured Eike Klapper, Counsellor for Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs at the Delegation of the European Union, as well as GACC South President and CEO Matthias Hoffman, discussed the upheaval in global trade in its effects on the automotive sector, particularly the German firms that have invested in the Southeast U.S.
Uncertainty was palpable, but it apparently hadn’t dulled Mercedes-Benz’s appetite for metro Atlanta, as the car maker just weeks later announced that it would put upgrade its U.S. base to a North American one, bringing 500 more workers to Atlanta. It also teased a new innovation center.
Mr. Psillakis replaced National Seating and Mobility CEO Crispin Teufel after the latter’s four years at the helm of the chamber.
“The southern U.S. remains a key hub for German investment, and I look forward to driving initiatives that foster growth, sustainability, and technological advancement for our members and the broader business community,” Mr. Psillakis said at the time, noting in a news release it was a “critical time for transatlantic business.”
Effective March 12 President Donald Trump slapped imported steel and aluminum with a 25 percent tariff, upping it to 50 percent in June for all countries except the United Kingdom, with which the U.S. landed a limited trade deal. The president then hit imports of cars with a 25 percent tariff on April 3, followed by another 25 percent on parts on May 3.
Listen to Mr. Psillakis as a guest on Mr. Hoffman’s “GACC South Unplugged” podcast here.
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