Volkswagen's premium Audi brand is weighing whether to pass on the costs of U.S. import tariffs to customers through price increases, it said Tuesday, adding it was expecting a decision this year on localizing production in North America.

Audi has no factories in the U.S. and is one of the carmakers most exposed to import tariffs via its plant in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico, which makes the popular Q5 and employs more than 5,000 people.

Its CEO Gernot Doellner, presenting full-year results for the brand, said the U.S. was Audi's "main growth market" as part of the carmaker's strategy.

"This is what we are pursuing. And we are pursuing this regardless of the changes in the political landscape in the USA," Doellner said, referring to import tariffs the U.S. administration under President Donald Trump has launched on products from Mexico and Canada.

Doellner said he expects a decision on localizing production in the North American market, which could include using existing Volkswagen factories as well as a new site, this year.

Trump earlier in March agreed to exempt automakers for a month from his punishing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico so long as they complied with existing free trade rules.

Audi's finance chief Juergen Rittersberger said the company was considering "the extent to which we will have to pass on at least some of the tariffs to our customers in the form of price increases."

Expecting slight economic growth, the Audi Group, which also includes the Bentley, Lamborghini and Ducati brands, expects an operating margin of 7-9% this year, up from 6% in 2024.

Audi on Monday unveiled up to 7,500 job cuts in a push to raise margins and lower costs, which brings total cuts planned by the Volkswagen group by the end of the decade to just below 48,000, or 7.8% of its global workforce.

Doellner said the restructuring was expected to lead to more than 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in savings over the medium term.

($1 = 0.9133 euros)