Mercedes-Benz reported declining sales for the third quarter on Tuesday, as US import duties and intensifying competition in China dented the German luxury carmaker‘s deliveries.
It delivered 441,500 vehicles between July and September, 12 per cent fewer than in the same quarter last year, with sales in the US and China falling by 17 per cent and 27 per cent respectively.
“While sales in Europe, South America and Gulf States (are) performing well, our sales in the third quarter were impacted by the market conditions in China,” Mathias Geisen, a member of the management board, said in a statement. Mercedes-Benz is one of several German auto manufacturers to have cut its guidance in 2025, as the industry incurred higher costs due to US President Donald Trump‘s tariffs on cars, their parts and materials, while sales fell drastically in China due to local competition.
Sales of battery electric vehicles (BEV) flattened compared to last year, at 42,600 cars, the automaker said.