Mercedes-Benz Renews Partnership with BASF Refinish Brands in Asia Pacific
Mercedes-Benz has renewed its partnership with BASF, reaffirming its trust in the company’s advanced coatings solutions and its premium refinish brands, Glasurit and R-M, across the Asia Pacific region. This decision highlights the long-standing collaboration between the two global industry leaders and reinforces BASF’s status as a Global Trusted Partner for the luxury automaker.
Strengthening Regional Collaboration
Under the renewed agreement, Mercedes-Benz has approved Glasurit for use in its authorized repair networks in China (including Mainland China and Taiwan), Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand. This move solidifies BASF’s presence in key Asia Pacific markets and strengthens its role as a strategic coatings partner to Mercedes-Benz.
In China, this renewal marks a refreshed and deepened partnership, reflecting the growing importance of sustainability and efficiency in the region’s automotive industry. Additionally, the collaboration continues in Japan, where R-M, BASF’s other premium refinish brand, remains a preferred and trusted choice. In Malaysia and Thailand, Glasurit has been further recognized as a preferred partner, building on years of successful cooperation.
A Focus on Sustainability and Innovation
One of the defining features of this renewed partnership is BASF’s commitment to delivering sustainable, high-performance solutions to support Mercedes-Benz’s global standards. A key component of this is Glasurit’s 100 Line — BASF’s most advanced waterborne basecoat system. Designed to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, 100 Line not only offers top-tier performance and color accuracy but also supports Mercedes-Benz’s sustainability goals in its repair operations.
Complementing this is the Body Shop BOOST consultancy program, powered by BASF’s digital platform, Refinity®. Launched in Asia in June, this program is designed to optimize body shop operations by improving efficiency, reducing waste, and increasing profitability. Through digital tools and customized consulting, BOOST helps Mercedes-Benz repair partners raise their performance while minimizing environmental impact — a shared priority for both companies.
Industry Leaders Committed to Excellence
The renewed agreement reflects a mutual commitment to quality, technological advancement, and environmental stewardship.
“We are honored to strengthen our long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz, a testament to our strong collective strategic focus in the highly competitive Asia Pacific region,” said Susann Kluge, Vice President of Automotive Refinish Coatings Asia Pacific at BASF. “This partnership highlights our commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions while advancing sustainability and digital transformation.”
BASF’s leadership in coatings technology and focus on innovative, eco-conscious products aligns seamlessly with Mercedes-Benz’s vision for a more sustainable and efficient automotive future.
Expanded Support Across the Region
Beyond the countries included in the formal agreement, BASF continues to provide service and support to Mercedes-Benz and its certified repair shops in several other Asia Pacific territories, including Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Mongolia, and Singapore. This broad service network ensures that Mercedes-Benz customers throughout the region benefit from consistent quality and standards in repair and refinishing services.
“This renewed partnership reflects the strength and trust of our global collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, built on shared values of innovation, sustainability, and excellence,” said Michael Hill, Global Strategic Account Manager for Automotive Refinish Coatings at BASF. “We are proud to support Mercedes-Benz and deliver the highest standards of quality and efficiency across their repair network worldwide.”
A Partnership Built for the Future
The extended collaboration between BASF and Mercedes-Benz is more than a commercial agreement — it is a shared vision for the future of automotive repair, centered on premium quality, operational excellence, and environmental responsibility. As BASF continues to innovate and invest in the Asia Pacific region, Mercedes-Benz can rely on a partner that understands the evolving demands of the automotive refinish market.
Through trusted brands like Glasurit and R-M, and forward-thinking tools such as Refinity® and the BOOST program, BASF is well-positioned to support Mercedes-Benz in delivering a seamless, high-quality customer experience — from factory to repair shop.
About BASF Coatings
The Coatings division of BASF is a global expert in the development, production and marketing of innovative and sustainable automotive OEM and refinish coatings, decorative paints as well as applied surface treatments for metal, plastic and glass substrates in a wide range of industries. We create advanced performance solutions and drive performance, design and new applications to meet our partners’ needs all over the world. BASF shares skills, knowledge and resources of interdisciplinary and global teams for the benefit of customers by operating a collaborative network of sites in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific. In 2024, the Coatings division achieved global sales of about €4.3 billion.
Solutions beyond your imagination – Coatings by BASF. For more information about BASF Coatings and its products, visit www.basf-coatings.com.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions.
BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.
