Ford plans to relocate Lincoln manufacturing from China to the United States

Ford plans to move production of some Lincoln models from China to the United States starting in 2030, the company’s chief executive told Reuters, adding that the move was difficult but necessary to strengthen the U.S. automotive manufacturing base.

Gasoline-powered cars and electric vehicles imported from China are subject to high tariffs. The U.S. tariff on the Lincoln Nautilus, the main vehicle Ford imports from China, is 52.5%, Ford confirmed.

«We made this decision as soon as the administration’s policy was defined,» Ford CEO Jim Farley said, referring to the tariffs.

“We knew exactly what they wanted to do, and we knew exactly what that meant for Ford,” Farley said in a joint interview with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

According to Farley, Lincolns manufactured in the United States would be sold in that market as part of a significant effort to increase production, although the company did not disclose where they would be manufactured.

Lutnick added, “Ford has the advantage. Domestic manufacturing has the advantage.”

General Motors, its domestic rival, announced that it will move production of its Buick Envision from China to the United States starting in 2028.

In addition to tariffs, automakers have faced restrictions under the Connected Vehicle Rule, which prohibits certain Chinese technologies and components in U.S. models.

Farley stated that both regulations prompted Ford’s decision, though he cited tariffs as the deciding factor.

Ford was one of several companies that requested authorization from the Commerce Department to continue selling vehicles that could be subject to restrictions under the rule.