Polestar is responding to China-related trade restrictions by spreading production across several regions and leaning more heavily on Europe—not simply by moving every car out of China. That may reduce tariffs on vehicles imported from China, but it does not by itself resolve Polestar’s U.S. market-access problem: on June 25, 2026, the company said the U.S. Commerce Department had declined to authorize sales beginning with 2027 model-year vehicles under the Connected Vehicle Rule.
Polestar is Swedish-branded, but closely connected to China’s Geely group
Polestar is a Swedish electric-car brand headquartered in Gothenburg. Its industrial and financial ties, however, extend well beyond Sweden: Geely Holding Group is its controlling parent, and Volvo Cars retains an ownership and financial relationship with the company. Geely and Volvo Cars provide important manufacturing, platform, financing, sourcing, and other industrial support. Polestar’s 2025 annual filing describes these relationships and the company’s operating risks (SEC filing).
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Several questions that are often collapsed into the label “Chinese car” are legally and commercially distinct: where a brand is headquartered, who owns or controls it, where a specific vehicle is assembled, where its components and software originate, and whether it is authorized for sale in a particular market. Production varies by model and destination. A Swedish identity does not make every Polestar Swedish-built; Chinese ownership does not automatically make every Polestar a China-origin import.
Tariffs depend on vehicle origin, not just the parent company
United States
The United States increased Section 301 tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in 2024. The measure concerns covered imports from China; Chinese shareholders or a Chinese parent do not, by themselves, turn a vehicle assembled elsewhere into a Chinese import. The applicable treatment can depend on the vehicle’s customs classification, country of origin, parts, and other rules. The U.S. Trade Representative’s notice describes the action and its context (USTR announcement).
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For that reason, there is no single tariff figure that should be applied to every Polestar in every market. A car built in China and one built in South Carolina may face different import treatment; the final answer depends on the particular vehicle and customs rules. Other duties or restrictions can also apply independently of an import tariff.
European Union
The EU’s measure is different: it imposed definitive countervailing duties on qualifying battery-electric vehicles originating in China for five years, subject to the applicable review rules. The published Geely-group rate is 18.8%, in addition to ordinary applicable duties. It is not a universal charge on every Polestar or on every car sold in Europe; it applies to vehicles covered by the measure and originating in China. The European Commission set out the rates and scope in its notice (European Commission notice).
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Building a vehicle in Europe could reduce exposure to duties aimed at China-origin finished vehicles, but a local factory takes investment, time, supplier qualification, and production scale. Assembly location also does not settle the origin or treatment of every component.
Where Polestar models are built—and where production is planned
| Model | Production position described by Polestar | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Polestar 3 | Production in Charleston, South Carolina. Polestar and Volvo Cars have announced plans to consolidate future production there. | Creates a U.S. manufacturing base and can reduce exposure tied to importing a finished vehicle from China. It does not guarantee U.S. authorization for future model years. |
| Polestar 4 | Production in China, supplemented by production in Busan, South Korea, through Renault Korea for selected markets, including the United States. | South Korean production gives Polestar a non-China route for some vehicles, but eligibility and customs treatment still depend on the vehicle and applicable rules. |
| Polestar 5 | Production planned in China, with deliveries expected from summer 2026. | Planned China production leaves the model exposed to rules affecting China-origin vehicles. |
| Polestar 2 successor | A successor is planned for 2027; production location and U.S. eligibility are not established in the cited company announcements. | Its market availability will depend on production decisions as well as any required U.S. authorization. |
| Polestar 7 | European production is planned for 2028. | Could support a more regionally based European business, but it is a future plan rather than an operating production site. |
These plans and the company’s current production footprint are described in its 2025 results announcement and annual filing. Planned production should not be read as a guarantee that a factory, model, or market launch will proceed on schedule.
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Why production outside China helps, but is not a complete solution
Regional production can lower exposure to duties on China-origin finished vehicles, shorten some supply routes, and bring manufacturing closer to customers. But “assembled outside China” does not mean “independent of China.” Batteries, components, software, supplier ownership, and financing may remain connected to Chinese companies. Customs authorities may also assess origin under rules that involve more than the location of final assembly.
Separate from tariffs, U.S. rules may concern connected-vehicle hardware, software, data, or ownership. That distinction is now central to Polestar’s strategy: moving assembly can address one kind of trade exposure without necessarily resolving a separate regulatory test. Nor would changing a badge, marketing description, or shipping route determine customs origin or national-security treatment.
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The U.S. setback is about permission to sell, not only import cost
On June 25, 2026, Polestar said the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security declined to authorize sales in the United States beginning with 2027 model-year vehicles under the Connected Vehicle Rule. That is different from a tariff: a tariff raises the cost of covered imports, while an authorization requirement can prevent sales of affected future vehicles. A vehicle assembled in the United States is not automatically cleared for sale under rules that may address technology or ownership.
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Polestar said it would continue selling existing Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 inventory in the United States and continue customer support through its service network. That confirms a near-term path for existing stock, not authorization for future model years or an indefinite U.S. sales plan. The company’s announcement does not establish how long current inventory will last or settle future questions about model availability, resale values, or the precise duration and scope of support (Polestar announcement; company filing).
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Europe becomes the center of Polestar’s growth plan
Polestar said Europe accounted for close to 80% of its retail sales volumes and that 94% of first-quarter 2026 retail sales volumes came from outside the United States. These are company-reported sales-volume shares, not measures of revenue or profit by region. In response to the U.S. decision, the company said it would expand its European sales network and pursue European manufacturing, while continuing to target Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Canada (Polestar’s June 2026 announcement).
A Europe-first approach builds on an existing customer base and may align better with the company’s Swedish identity. A European plant could also reduce exposure to duties on China-origin finished vehicles sold in the EU. But Europe is not a tariff-free refuge for Chinese-built cars, and local production requires capital, suppliers, and sufficient volume. Growth elsewhere could diversify sales, but each market brings its own rules, infrastructure, distribution needs, and currency risks; the company has not shown that these markets can replace U.S. demand.
Each production route has a different trade-off
- More U.S. production: Charleston can reduce reliance on imported finished vehicles from China and support a North American footprint. It cannot, on its own, resolve a connected-vehicle authorization issue; costs, component sourcing, and factory utilization also matter.
- South Korean production: Busan offers an additional non-China manufacturing route. It is not automatically eligible for any particular U.S. trade treatment, and output depends on partner capacity and model-specific origin rules.
- European production: A local base could serve Polestar’s largest sales region and reduce exposure to duties on China-origin vehicles. It will take investment and time, and does not necessarily remove Chinese technology or component links.
- Concentrating on non-U.S. markets: This could limit spending on a U.S. regulatory problem with an uncertain outcome. The trade-off is giving up potential scale in a major premium-car market and relying more heavily on regions with different commercial conditions.
- Seeking authorization or an exemption: A regulatory path could preserve U.S. sales without replacing the entire technology architecture, but no favorable decision should be assumed. Any changes required to ownership, software, hardware, data, or suppliers could be costly.
Regionalization will test Polestar’s access to capital
New production routes are not free tariff insurance. They can require factory retooling, supplier qualification, duplicate capacity, inventory, logistics changes, certifications, and investment in software and data systems. Polestar reported 2025 revenue of $3.058 billion, a net loss of $2.357 billion, and year-end cash of $1.159 billion. The company also reported financing activity during 2025 and early 2026; its results announcement details the figures and funding arrangements (Polestar 2025 results).
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What U.S. owners and shoppers can reasonably infer
- Owners: Polestar has said it will continue supporting U.S. customers through its service network. The announcement does not promise that every aspect of service, parts, software, warranty, or support will remain unchanged indefinitely.
- Shoppers considering current inventory: The company says existing Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 stock can continue to be sold. That statement concerns existing stock and does not guarantee availability, a particular price, or future model-year sales.
- People waiting for future models: U.S. authorization from the 2027 model year is unresolved under the current decision. A U.S.-built vehicle, a South Korea-built vehicle, and a China-built vehicle may face different origin questions, but assembly location alone does not answer the Connected Vehicle Rule question.
What could change the outlook
A later authorization, exemption, policy change, or sufficiently different compliance approach could alter U.S. access; none is established by the company’s June announcement. Production plans may also change as Polestar and its partners make investment and sourcing decisions. The clearest current distinction is between measures that can reduce China-origin import exposure and the separate conditions for selling connected vehicles in the United States.
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