Mercedes-Benz global sales fell by 9 percent to 453,700 cars during the second quarter, according to statistics from the company. In the USA, the setback was 12 percent, while sales in China plummeted 19 percent – two markets where new tariffs have been introduced.
The problem for Mercedes is that a lot of cars are produced in the USA to be sold in China and vice versa, including large SUV models such as GLS and GLE in Tuscaloosa in the state of Alabama, USA.
After the Trump administration's tariffs on cars of 25 percent, China has introduced 10-percent tariffs on USA-manufactured SUV vehicles.