Chinese consumers have no access to Tesla S and X models since last week, according to the Reuters agency, reports CNN. Both made in the United States, the two models were previously imported into China on order, but have been removed from the Chinese site of Tesla.
The American company has not given a precise reason to explain this measure, but it occurs in the context of the escalation of the trade war between China and the United States. On Friday, China announced an increase in its 125 % customs duties on American products after its American rival raised its own to 145 % on Chinese imports.
The increase in customs tariffs impacts the consumption of American products in China, imported cars returning to them more expensive than vehicles produced in the country. But Tesla, based in Austin in Texas, where Tesla is still popular, is less affected by this increase than other car manufacturers, since most of its cars sold in the United States are produced nationally.
Sales fall
The X and S models only represented 0.5 % of the more than 657,000 vehicle deliveries in 2024. The same year, China imported 1,553 models of model X and 311 of model S according to Li Yanwei, analyst for China Auto Dealers Association. On the other hand, the 3 and Y models, which represent the majority of its sales and are intended for the Chinese and European markets, are manufactured in a factory in Shanghai. Tesla sales in China have also been impacted by the growing competitiveness of other local manufacturers such as Byd.
Internationally, sales of model 3, Cybertruck and SUV Tesla dropped 25 % in the first quarter. This drop is explained by the lack of upgrade of vehicles and the boycott of the Elon Musk CEO policy in the United States. Last Thursday, Tesla announced the opening of 3 new concessions in Saudi Arabia, country at all oil.