It’s not too late for U.S. to fend off Chinese automakers
DETROIT — Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley said Tuesday he believes politicians should take lessons learned from Europe when deciding whether to allow Chinese automakers into the U.S., cautioning that it’s “too late” for that region but not for the American market.
“I think it’s just important for us to take our time to be considerate,” Farley said at the Automotive News Congress in Detroit. “I watch what’s happening in Europe right now, where that was not the case, and it’s really something that they have to deal with now, and it’s too late.”
Global market share for Chinese brands jumped nearly 70% from 2020 to 2025, according to market research and consulting firm GlobalData. Chinese automakers’ market share in Europe was virtually nothing in 2020 but hit 12% in August, according to Germany-based Dataforce.
Farley’s comments come as Ford tries to compete against an influx of Chinese automakers entering Europe, while also attempting to partner with some Chinese companies to fill plants and assist in other technologies, such as electric vehicle batteries.
Ford and China automaker Geely said in July that Geely planned to build EVs at a Spain plant owned by the Detroit automaker by early next year through a new manufacturing joint venture.
“Our answer is pretty simple. We’re going to partner with the Chinese where we don’t have [intellectual property], where we can be more capital efficient in places like Europe or Southeast Asia,” Farley said Tuesday.
He also added that Ford plans to also compete against the Chinese, noting that it’s preparing to launch its “universal electric vehicle” next year with a pickup truck.
The Trump administration sent the automaker a letter earlier this month expressing “profound concern” about its ties to Chinese companies and questioning its strategic trajectory. Ford at the time defended its stance as America’s top-producing carmaker and said it employs more hourly workers in the country than any other automaker.
Farley’s warning also comes on the heels of a high-profile visit last week by Chinese President Xi Jinping with President Donald Trump, who earlier this month said he might be “OK” letting Chinese automakers into the U.S. if they produced vehicles domestically.
There also are bills in Congress that could restrict or even permanently ban Chinese automotive brands from entering the U.S. market.