The debate in the Committee on Trade, Science and Transport also showed that there are differences between the senators.Image: keystone
A group of US senators wants to take tougher action against connected cars from manufacturers with Chinese shareholders. This could potentially also affect a large German car manufacturer.
July 23, 2026, 06:52July 23, 2026, 06:52
A bill that could threaten Mercedes-Benz with a sales ban in the US because of Chinese shareholders has cleared its first hurdle in the US Senate. The responsible committee released the draft for consideration by the entire chamber of Congress.
The draft envisages a ban on the import, production, sale and resale of connected vehicles from manufacturers in which Chinese shareholders hold more than 15 percent. In the case of Mercedes, almost ten percent goes to the Chinese car manufacturer BAIC and another almost ten percent goes to the founder of the manufacturer Geely, Li Shufu.
Senators divided
In a reaction, Mercedes pointed out, among other things, that no shareholder in the company holds more than ten percent and that the major shareholders are not directly represented on the supervisory board or can make decisions about the business. At the same time, the group recalled that the company contributes to around 160,000 jobs in the USA, including in the two plants in Tuscaloosa in the state of Alabama and Charleston in South Carolina.
The debate in the Committee on Trade, Science and Transport also showed that there are differences between the senators. The influential Republican Ted Cruz spoke out in favor of removing the 15 percent threshold. He also raised the question of whether this value was chosen to weaken the German rival of the US giant General Motors. Both Cruz and the Democrat Bernie Moreno, who is behind the bill, assured that they did not want a ban on the sale of Mercedes vehicles in the USA. He also pointed out that the draft gives automakers the opportunity to apply for exemptions from the Department of Commerce. (sda/dpa)