MUNICH, July 11 (Reuters) - BMW's CEO said on

Friday he was optimistic that the European Union and the United

States would soon reach a "manageable" agreement on auto import

tariffs, potentially including a mechanism to offset imports

with exports.

Oliver Zipse's comments come as Europe awaits a letter from

the U.S. administration under Donald Trump that could outline

the framework of a trade deal and clarify tariff levels on

European automotive exports. Trump said on Thursday the EU could

receive a letter on tariff rates by Friday.

"I'm optimistic that there will be a manageable outcome but

we have to wait for the result," Zipse told journalists at a

company event in Munich on Friday.

He said a possible "netting mechanism" could be part of the

deal, allowing exports from the U.S. to offset imports. BMW

stands to benefit from such an arrangement, as its largest

production site is in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The mechanism could be based on the value of exports out of

the U.S. market - more than $10 billion in 2024 in BMW's case -

rather than the number of exported vehicles, he said.

If both sides were to agree on such a mechanism, it could

also benefit imports of auto parts, according to people familiar

with the matter.

"We have an important point because we are the largest car

exporter in the U.S." Zipse said, referring to the 225,000 cars

it exported out of the country in 2024.

Hefty tariffs on car imports to the U.S. have left European

carmakers scrambling to respond while hoping for a deal to

minimise their impact in talks between Washington and the

European Commission.

Sources told Reuters earlier this week that Brussels had

proposed a package of measures to ease the pressure, including

export and investment credits and mutual reductions in existing

tariff rates.