Ford halts shipments of vehicles to China

Ford Motor said it has halted shipments of its sport utility vehicle (SUVs), pick-up trucks and sports cars to China, as it starts to face the heat from retaliatory tariffs that have seen vehicles face taxes as high as 150 per cent.

“We have adjusted exports from the US to China in light of the current tariffs,” Ford said in a statement.

The company this week halted shipments of its F-150 Raptors, Mustangs and Michigan-built Bronco SUVs as well as Kentucky-made Lincoln Navigators to China.

The development comes as US automakers scramble to find ways to tackle President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs, which are expected to dent profits of carmakers and parts suppliers likewise.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the halt, citing people familiar with the matter.

Ford’s exports of United States-built engines and transmissions to China are expected to continue despite the pause on exports of assembled vehicles.

Its Lincoln Nautilus model, which is manufactured in China, is also expected to have continued shipments, despite heavy tariffs.
Ford is among the best-placed automakers to weather tariffs, as it produces about 80 per cent of its US-sold vehicles domestically.

Still, the automaker is expected to raise prices of its new vehicles if tariffs continue, according to an internal memo sent to dealers that was seen by Reuters.

An analysis by the centre for Automotive Research published earlier this month said that Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on automotive imports will escalate costs for automakers by about $108 billion in 2025.

Agencies