BEIJING: US electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc is considering lifting its prices in China from September amid yuan-related uncertainty, two people familiar with the matter said.
The people declined to be named as the plan has not been made public. They did not offer detail on the price change.
China allowed the yuan to weaken past the 7-per-dollar level on Monday for the first time in more than a decade, after which the US government labelled China a currency manipulator, raising the stakes in the trade dispute between the two countries.
China firmly opposes the currency manipulator label saying it has not used and will not use the yuan to cope with the US trade frictions.
The sharp drop in the yuan comes days after US President Donald Trump stunned financial markets by vowing to impose 10% tariffs on the remaining $300 billion of Chinese imports from Sept. 1, abruptly breaking a brief ceasefire in a trade war that has disrupted global supply chains and slowed growth.
Tesla currently imports all the cars it sells in China, but it is in the process of building a factory in Shanghai that will manufacture Model 3 cars in the initial phase and help it minimize the impact of the trade war and tariffs.
If enacted, this would be the first case of a planned price adjustment by an importer since the yuan fell this week and points to the growing pressure that importers are facing.
Tesla broke ground on the Shanghai factory in January and its Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has said the firm aims to finish initial construction this summer and start production of the Model 3 towards the end of the year.
Deliveries of all models in the second quarter this year rose 51% from the first quarter to 95,200 vehicles, including 77,550 Model 3s, 17,650 Model S and X.
Last month, Tesla globally dropped the standard-range variants of its Model X and Model S from its product lineup and adjusted prices across its range.
In China, the world's largest electric vehicle market, the trade frictions between China and the US has caused Tesla to adjust its multiple times over the past year because of the tariff changes.
Tesla said to be considering raising prices in China
Tesla said to be considering raising prices in China
- Company may raise prices starting in September
Saudi POS stays above $4bn as Ramadan spending lifts outlays on home goods
RIYADH: Saudi point-of-sale transactions remained above $4 billion in the week ending Feb. 14, with spending on furniture and home supplies rising ahead of Ramadan, central bank data showed.
Overall POS activity totaled SR15.34 billion ($4.09 billion), representing a 4.8 percent week-on-week decrease, while the number of transactions dipped 1.6 percent to 252 million, according to the Saudi Central Bank.
Spending on furniture and home supplies rose 5.9 percent to SR697.35 million, marking the strongest weekly increase among major retail categories.
Expenditure on electronics increased 2.9 percent, while spending on construction and building materials rose 1.1 percent.
Sectors that saw declines includes freight transport and courier services, which posted a drop of 5 percent to SR64.86 million.
Pharmacy and medical supplies spending fell 8.2 percent to SR223.81 million, but outlays on medical services rose 5.7 percent to SR539.68 million.
Food and beverage expenditure decreased 4.3 percent, but the total spend of SR2.57 billion meant it retained the largest share of POS activity.
Restaurants and cafes followed with SR1.73 billion, despite a 4.7 percent decline. Apparel and clothing outlays represented the third-largest share of POS spending during the monitored week, up 0.5 percent to SR1.38 billion.
The Kingdom’s major urban centers mirrored the mixed national changes. Riyadh, which accounted for the largest share of total POS spending, saw a 3.4 percent drop to SR5.32 billion. The number of transactions in the capital reached 80.7 million, down 0.8 percent week on week.
In Jeddah, transaction values decreased 4.4 percent to SR2.12 billion, while Dammam reported a 3.3 percent decrease to SR746.29 million.
POS data, tracked weekly by SAMA, provides an indicator of consumer spending trends and the ongoing growth of digital payments in Saudi Arabia.
The data also highlights the expanding reach of POS infrastructure, extending beyond major retail hubs to smaller cities and service sectors, supporting broader digital inclusion initiatives.
The growth of digital payment technologies aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, promoting electronic transactions and contributing to the Kingdom’s broader digital economy.
