"The pressure on the public weighs down 'Made in Germany' as U.S. and Canadian tariffs hold it back."

Net profit plummeted by nearly 40%, restructuring costs soared, and the global supply chain came under pressure - these are the realities revealed by Volkswagen Group's just released first half financial report for 2025. At first glance, it may seem like a corporate semi-annual report, but in reality it is a touchstone of "Made in Germany" amidst global political and economic fragmentation. Volkswagen's pain is not just a challenge for individual car companies, but a microcosm of the entire German industry facing the triple pressure of institutional constraints, geopolitical frictions, and technological transformation. According to the performance report, Volkswagen's revenue for the first half of 2025 reached 158.4 billion euros, basically flat year-on-year; however, operating profit fell by 33% year-on-year to 6.7 billion euros, with net profit after tax dropping by over 38% to 4.47 billion euros, well below market expectations. According to Volkswagen, one of the core factors leading to the sharp decline in profits is the new round of import tariffs imposed by the US government on electric cars and components. This policy has brought a cost burden of up to 1.3 billion euros to the Volkswagen Group.