The Other Side of Trump’s Tariffs: Ford Runs to China to Escape Xi Jinping’s New Duties

If you thought today’s car industry was brave, proud, and fiercely independent — well, think again.
America’s famed "Blue Oval" has decided to do exactly what proud, freedom-loving companies usually promise they never will: pack their bags and quietly head for China. Well, at least partially.

After Xi Jinping slapped sky-high tariffs on American goods, Ford was left with little choice but to mournfully accept that their prized toys — the F-150 Raptor, Mustang, Bronco, and Lincoln Navigator — were now hopelessly out of reach for the average Chinese consumer.
Shipments were halted, and Ford’s top brass had to come up with a survival plan.
And what brilliant strategy did they devise?
Why, of course: move production directly into China itself.

Ford China boss Liu Jizheng told reporters something along the lines of: "We’re accelerating the localization of imported (read: American) parts." Which roughly translates to: "It’s going to take a while, so don’t rush us, please." Meanwhile, there’s lots of chatter about expanding model production at the Changan-Ford and JMC-Ford factories — but, as always, no solid promises were made.

The real cherry on top?
When Trump first introduced tariffs against China, the whole idea was to stimulate production back in the good ol’ USA. The outcome?
Instead of returning home, Ford and General Motors are now digging even deeper into China, setting up shop rather comfortably across the Pacific.
A truly brilliant strategy, if ever there was one.

And let’s not kid ourselves: the pipeline from China to the U.S. remains alive and kicking.
Take the Lincoln Nautilus and Buick Envision — both selling like hotcakes in North America, with combined sales reaching 84,000 vehicles in 2024. Plus, every year, the U.S. happily imports $15–20 billion worth of auto parts from Chinese factories.
So much for the patriotic manufacturing renaissance.

In short, Ford is now doing everything it can to sidestep the tariffs and deliver its cars straight from the gates of Chinese plants to your local dealership.
American national pride?
It’s probably parked somewhere, batteries flat, hood popped open, with a dusty sign that reads:
"We apologize for the inconvenience."