Overview
- Källenius told German outlet The Pioneer that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pitched a U.S. headquarters relocation last year with tax breaks and other incentives.
- He said Mercedes-Benz remains a global company anchored in Stuttgart, rejecting the idea of uprooting its identity from Swabia.
- Mercedes has announced it will shift production of a sport-utility vehicle to its Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant beginning in 2027.
- The company also plans a new Research & Development hub near Sandy Springs, Georgia, as part of expanded U.S. operations.
- The episode highlights the administration’s broader use of tariffs and incentives to attract corporate investment to the United States.