A US bill that could lead to a ban on selling Mercedes-Benz cars in the United States has advanced in the Senate, due to the partial Chinese ownership of the German company.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted unanimously to send the 'Connected Vehicle Security Act' to the full Senate, despite emerging divisions over some of its provisions.

The bill would ban the sale of internet-connected vehicles produced by companies where Chinese ownership exceeds 15 percent, which could include Mercedes, as Chinese companies BAIC Motor and Geely hold stakes that together exceed that threshold.

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Committee Chairman Senator Ted Cruz criticized the proposed ownership threshold, calling for national security assessments instead of a fixed percentage, while Senator Bernie Moreno, a sponsor of the bill, confirmed that Mercedes would have until 2030 to comply if the law is enacted, with the possibility of requesting a waiver from the Department of Commerce.

According to Bloomberg, Mercedes has lobbied to amend the bill, calling for raising the allowed Chinese ownership threshold to 25 percent.