Ford Halts Exports to China – And This Time, It's Not the Weather or Engine Trouble, but Good Old-Fashioned Politics

You know that feeling when someone whacks you with a shovel in the sandbox? Ford knows. Because that’s pretty much what the relationship between the U.S. and China looks like these days—a grown-up sandbox brawl where one side throws tariffs and the other retaliates with even bigger ones.

Ford has now announced that, under the current circumstances, it can no longer ship its burliest four-wheeled beasts—like the F-150 Raptor, Mustang, Bronco, and Lincoln Navigator—to China. Why? Because China slapped up to 150% tariffs on them. Welcome to the turbulent new world of global trade: when Trump shuts the gate, Xi tightens the valve. And the result? Ford’s largest models now sit idle on American soil, waiting for buyers who aren’t afraid of tight parking spaces or triple-digit fuel bills.

To be fair, the loss isn’t earth-shattering. Last year, only about 5,500 Ford and Lincoln vehicles were shipped to China. Not exactly a full-scale invasion, but just enough to say, “Well, at least we tried.” Meanwhile? China sent the Lincoln Nautilus to America.

Poetic, isn’t it?