Ford 'adjusts' some exports to China due to tariffs

Citing the US-China trade conflict, Ford said Friday it has "adjusted" its exports to the country, where the US auto giant operates manufacturing jointly with local partners.

"We have adjusted exports from the US to China in light of the current tariffs," Ford told AFP without specifying the models affected.

The US auto giant halted Michigan-made shipments of the F-150 Raptor, Mustang and Bronco sport utility vehicles, according to a Wall Street Journal report Friday.

Also affected was the Lincoln Navigator, which is built in Kentucky, the newspaper said.

Over the last decade, Ford has sold around 240,000 vehicles in China exported from the United States. But volumes fell sharply in 2024 to around 5,500.

The move is the latest ripple effect from an escalating trade war between Beijing and Washington.

Despite pulling back on many other tariffs, President Donald Trump has stuck firm to US duties on Chinese goods and raised them to 145 percent. In turn, China has increased tariffs on US exports, including cars, to 125 percent.

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Overall, Ford sold 442,000 vehicles -- made in the United States and elsewhere -- in China in 2024, comprising 1.6 percent of the market, according to the carmaker's latest annual report.

The US company operates a number of manufacturing joint ventures in China with Chinese companies, producing vehicles under both the Ford and Lincoln brands.

Some of Ford's production in China is exported to other markets. One of these vehicles, the Lincoln Nautilus, is now subject to hefty US tariffs, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Ford's Chinese ventures resulted in 2024 operating profits of around $900 million, Ford Vice Chairman John Lawler said this week at a financial conference.

Source: AFP