The trade stand-off between the United States and China has resulted in the emergence of an unlikely beneficiary - Mercedes-Benz India. You see, US President Donald Trump's administration has levied high tariffs on products imported from China, and to get around the taxation issue, Mercedes-Benz is now shipping its midsize SUV, the GLC, to the US, from India.
In reply to an Autocar India query, Mercedes-Benz India confirmed the news. "The Mercedes-Benz plant in Pune/India supplies small quantities of GLC to the US. This serves as a backup solution in case of high demands," read a company statement.
Utilising its plant in Chakan, Pune (which has an annual production capacity of 20,000 units), Mercedes-Benz India is now exporting the GLC to meet high demand in the North American market – where the GLC is its highest-selling model. Currently, Mercedes' facility in Bremen, Germany supplies the GLC to the US, and Mercedes has no plans to produce the SUV at its plant in Alabama, US.
This makes Mercedes-Benz the first luxury car manufacturer in India to be shipping locally-produced models to the US, and is a move that will elevate India’s position on the world stage.
Mercedes-Benz is expected to debut a facelifted version of the GLC sometime next year. You can read all about it here.