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Posted on 05/05/2025 8:25:05 AM PDT by DFG
Mercedes-Benz will shift production of one of its vehicles to Tuscaloosa, Alabama by 2027.
The German luxury carmaker's move is the latest response from an industry caught in the expensive crosshairs of President Donald Trump's 25 percent tariffs.
The decision marks a potential win for Trump’s protectionist trade agenda, which aims to boost US manufacturing by slapping steep tariffs on foreign-made goods.
But there are many complicating factors.
The company didn't say which model would move to America. Instead, it said the production of a 'core segment vehicle' will move stateside.
Many experts predict the move will impact the production of the GLC, the company's best-selling car in the US. The compact SUV is built in Bremen, Germany.
'As a company with global activities and more than 30 plants worldwide, Mercedes-Benz generally pursues a local-for-local strategy,' the company told DailyMail.com.
'In doing so, we continuously optimize our production network and use its high flexibility to react to fluctuations and changing market conditions to remain competitive.'
Mercedes reported selling 64,163 units in the US in 2024, up 58 percent from the year before.
While the Alabama plant might become the SUV's birthplace, Mercedes will likely start to move some production out of the factory, too.
The company said in April it was actively reviewing production moves as the tariff pressure mounted.
Moves could impact some of its highest-profit cars, like the GLE, GLS, GLE Coupe and Mercedes-Maybach GLS, which all call Alabama home.
Mercedes has used the American plant for export production, including sending cars to Europe and Canada.
But as President Trump doubles down on automotive tariffs and countries respond with retaliations, exported vehicles could be slashed from the factory lines.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
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Falling in line, just like Trump said.
There’s no UAW in Alabama, right?
*
“right?”
Wrong
Since 1997, around four million vehicles have rolled off the assembly line at the Tuscaloosa plant.
The plant is the traditional location for SUV production with the current GLE, GLE Coupé and GLS Maybach model series. Since 2022, the two all-electric models EQS SUV and EQE SUV have also been manufactured here and since 2023 also the new Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV. The batteries for the EQ models are manufactured at the battery factory in nearby Bibb County.
https://group.mercedes-benz.com/company/locations/production-network-tuscaloosa.html
The last Merc I bought has been an absolute dog. I may be done with them no matter where it’s built. It wasn’t like this a few years ago.
Re: 6 - those are almost all high-end vehicles.
C and E-class sedans are not made in Alabama. The A-class sedan is not even sold in the US any more (a shame, but the market spoke and US and Canadian drivers want cross-overs and SUVs).
A new MAGNA Structures plant (not to be confused with MAGA) near Lawrenceburg, TN, stamps out subframe halves, which are shipped to the MAGNA Kamtak plant in Birmingham, AL where the halves are welded into tubular subframes.
I was told those are for M-B vehicles.
WTH is COMPACT sUV?????
It is a vehicle that older empty nesters can climb in and out of without much effort, make Costco runs and take their dog to the vet.
2011 E350 Sedan V6
2013 SLK 350 Coupe V6
2015 ML350 SUV V6 (just traded)
2021 E450 Wagon I6 (very rare)
They must be popular. A few years ago Merceds-Benz took over a strip mall in my neighborhood, moved out the restaurants, and other businesses like Orchard Supply, and built facilities over a couple blocks. Now there seem to be a thousand cars there, being sold and serviced. Bigger facilities than all the other car dealerships in the area.
Smart Move by Mercedes to make the models popular in the U.S in the U.S.
https://www.best-selling-cars.com/usa/2024-full-year-usa-mercedes-benz-us-car-sales-by-model/
This source says Mercedes US sales 2024 were well over 300,000 and not the 65,000 cited in the article. The 65k number is about the total for one model, the GLC.
They didn’t have to move Orchard Supply out. They went belly up years ago.
Every Mercedes-Benz plant in the world is unionized — except the company’s two plants in the United States.Apr 3, 2024
UAW Files Charges in Germany Against Mercedes-Benz ...
Where?
Local 112
Roger that.
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