Automotive Energy Supply Corp. (AESC), a Japanese company, has temporarily stopped building a $1.6 billion factory in South Carolina. They said this was due to "policy and market uncertainty." This factory was meant to make batteries for electric BMW cars. South Carolina's Governor Henry McMaster thinks the delay is because of possible changes to federal tax breaks for electric car buyers and incentives for EV businesses, as well as unclear tariffs if Donald Trump becomes president again. Even though construction is paused, AESC has promised to create 1,600 jobs and invest $1.6 billion, and they have already put $1 billion into the Florence plant. Meanwhile, South Carolina continues to invest a lot in electric vehicles. For example, Volkswagen's Scout Motors plans to invest $2 billion in a new factory to make electric SUVs by 2027. A bigger concern is how Trump's interest in high tariffs might affect the state's partnerships with foreign companies like BMW, Michelin, and Samsung.