--- title: "All Eyes Turn to Mercedes as Senate Panel Advances Chinese Car Ban: TDS" date: "2026-07-23" modified: "2026-07-23" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/all-eyes-turn-to-mercedes-as-senate-panel-advances-chinese-car-ban-tds" categories: - "News" - "The Downshift" tags: - "Mercedes" --- # All Eyes Turn to Mercedes as Senate Panel Advances Chinese Car Ban: TDS ![Mercedes SUV in production in China]() *\Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images\* Welcome to *[The Downshift]()*, or TDS for short, *The Drive’s* morning automotive news roundup bringing you the biggest headlines from around the globe. *The Downshift* summarizes stories with a sentence or two, along with links for those who wish to dive deeper. Here’s what’s cooking on Thursday, July 23, 2026. 🔊 The latest episode of *[The Drivecast]()*, *The Drive’s* weekly podcast, [went live yesterday]() on [Apple Podcasts](), [Spotify](), and wherever you get your podcasts. 📜 A bill banning automakers from selling cars in the U.S. if they're more than 15% owned by a Chinese entity was approved by the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday. The measure has placed Mercedes-Benz under the spotlight, as 20% of its investment comes from China, though one of the bill's authors, Senator Bernie Moreno, said that Mercedes would have until 2030 to comply and could seek waivers. Senator Ted Cruz said that General Motors is supporting the proposal so that Cadillac could swoop up Mercedes' forfeited share if it did have to exit the market, while GM said that its support of the bill doesn't concern any specific automaker. *\[[Reuters]()\]* 🔧 BMW is recalling 318,495 vehicles in the U.S. that have starter motors that may overheat and catch fire. Affected vehicles include the 3 Series, 4 Series, X3, X4, Z4, and—wait for it—the Toyota Supra. *\[[Reuters]()\]* 📉 Hyundai's global Q2 operating profit was 21% down from the same period last year, while sales in China specifically slumped 33%. *\[[Automotive News]()\]* 🔽 Porsche will cut another 5,000 jobs in Germany, bringing its total reduction in headcount to 8,900, as it seeks ever more ways to cut costs. *\[[Automotive News]()\]* 🏭 Ford has announced a partnership with Geely to allow the Chinese automaker to use some of its dormant capacity at its plant in Valencia, Spain. The two companies will jointly develop EVs as part of the arrangement. *\[[Bloomberg]()\]* 💷 Aston Martin has secured £550 million (that's $736 million) in debt financing from HPS Investment Partners. Shared jumped by over 9% in London following the news. *\[[Bloomberg]()\]* *Got a tip or feedback for TDS? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()