Approximately 1 million cars roll off Slovakia's production lines each year, making this central European country with a population of 5.4 million the world's largest carmaker per capita and, consequently, the most exposed in Europe to the tariffs on car imports imposed by US President Donald Trump.

The car industry drives 11% of Slovakia's economy, which totaled €127 billion ($139 billion) in 2023. Exports account for over 90% of GDP, and car exports account for 30% of these overseas sales.

Slovakia exported cars worth €4.3 billion to the US in 2023, while billions more were earned from parts that were produced in Slovakia and installed in vehicles sent across the Atlantic from Germany and elsewhere.

This heavy dependence on the car industry and the swift implementation of the US auto tariffs last week mean that the fallout will be quickly felt in Slovakia, analysts predict.

"Small and open economies like Slovakia are likely to feel the effects fairly quickly," Richard Grievson, deputy director of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, told DW.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), one of the four carmakers that run factories in Slovakia, announced on April 7 that it has paused shipments to the US, which account for around one quarter of its global sales.

Peter Kazimir, head of the National Bank of Slovakia, branded the auto tariff a "European-American Armageddon" in a social media post and warned of slower growth, labor market jitters and........

© Deutsche Welle