Tesla stops sales of Model S and Model X in China

The tariff dispute between the USA and China has also led to reactions at Tesla: Model X and Model S are built in the USA and would therefore be directly affected by the tariffs. The brand is therefore suspending sales of the two models in China for the time being, reports Handelsblatt. Both vehicles were no longer available to order on the Chinese website on Friday lunchtime European time.

Small quantities

Stopping sales of the Model S and Model X would not have a dramatic impact on the brand. At Tesla, the recently revised Model Y dominates the sales figures worldwide by a huge margin. The significantly more expensive vehicles that could be affected by the stop are marginal phenomena in terms of sales figures. According to an analyst from the Chinese dealer association, only 1553 Model Xs and 311 Model Ss were exported from the USA to China last year.

In response to the increase in tariffs by the US government, China has raised its tariffs on US imports to 125 percent. A spokesperson emphasized that China would not respond to any further tariff increases by the US with even higher import duties. At the moment, there is no longer any market acceptance for US imports due to the tariffs in China. Further increases therefore make no economic sense from China's point of view. China is likely to look for other ways to offer resistance. It is becoming apparent that China and the EU could cooperate more closely than before.

(mfz)