US Senate bill on Mercedes-Benz Chinese stake

In late July 2026, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee began moving forward a bipartisan proposal, the Connected Vehicle Security Act, that would bar the sale, import, production, or resale of connected vehicles from manufacturers in which Chinese entities own more than 15 % of equity. Initial reporting on July 22 noted the committee’s vote to advance the measure and outlined the potential impact on Mercedes‑Benz, whose shareholding includes roughly 20 % Chinese‑linked ownership, and warned that the company would need to restructure its ownership or obtain a waiver by 2030 to avoid a U.S. market ban.

Three days later, on July 25, the committee formally approved the bill, confirming the same 15 % threshold and the same deadline for compliance. The approval advanced the legislation to the full Senate for consideration, maintaining the focus on protecting U.S. industrial security and vehicle‑data integrity while keeping open the possibility of exemptions for long‑standing manufacturers.