Tesla has quietly stopped taking new orders for its Model S and Model X vehicles in China. While no official confirmation has been given by the company, this move is seen as a response to rising trade tensions between the United States and China, which have seen tariffs rise to historic levels.
According to an update to Tesla’s Chinese website on Friday, customers will find that the “Order Now” button for the Model S and X has been replaced by “View Available Cars.” The same restriction has been implemented on Tesla’s WeChat mini-program, effectively preventing Chinese customers from placing new custom orders for these imported models.
The timing to remove the Model S and Model X from the Chinese markets comes shortly after the U.S. increased tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%, prompting China to retaliate with its own round of steep tariffs—raising duties on U.S. imports to 125%. These tariffs have made American-made vehicles like the Model S and Model X significantly more expensive for Chinese buyers.
Tesla’s locally built Model 3 and Model Y, produced at Giga Shanghai, remain available for order in China. Since they are produced locally, these models are not affected by the cross-border tariff hikes.
While they are no longer available, for now, the Model S and X have always been niche offerings in China’s EV market. In 2024, only 1,553 Model X and 311 Model S vehicles were imported into the country, accounting for less than 0.5% of Tesla’s over 657,000 deliveries in China. Globally, deliveries of the Model S, X, and Cybertruck fell to just 12,881 units in Q1 2025—down 25% year-over-year.
This is not the only international market where Tesla has stopped taking orders for the Model S and Model X. The company did the same in Japan last month.
