Mercedes-Benz Will Pay $68 Million In Fines
Mercedes-Benz just received a harsh sentence today; after an inquiry by Chinese investigators from Jiangsu last year, the German manufacturer was declared guilty of price fixing on some of their vehicles and spare parts.
Mercedes-Benz Chinese offices as well as a few dealerships pleaded guilty to fixing the price of some E-Classes and S-Classes, refusing to sell them under a set price. Furthermore, if a dealer sold one of these models for less, they were penalized.
- Also: China Accuses Mercedes-Benz Of Price Hiking
- Also: 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe: As Pretty as a Starlet
The German brand will have to pay a fine of 350 million yuan, which is about $68 million. Each dealership also received fines of up to 7.7 million yuan, or $1.5 million.
This large fine thus became the most expensive one ever given to an auto manufacturer in Chinese history.
Mercedes-Benz isn’t the first manufacturer to be punished by the Chinese government, Volkswagen and FCA also had to pay fines –albeit smaller–, and a dozen Japanese parts manufacturers were also accused of similar crimes.
