Ford has confirmed that in the next two to three years, all of its small cars currently built in the U.S. will instead be produced in Mexico.
The news was revealed by chief executive Mark Field during an investor conference in Michigan and despite the fierce opposition of Republic Presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Speaking to investors, Fields said “Over the next two to three years, we will have migrated all of our small-car production to Mexico and out of the United States.”
Already, Mexico handles production of both the Ford Fiesta and Fusion sedan but as it stands, a selection of models are still made in the United States. These include the Mustang and Taurus and soon, the new Lincoln Continental. A new Ford Ranger and Bronco are also expected to be built in the U.S. following their respective launches.
Back in April, the company announced $2.5 billion in investments to construct a new plant in Mexico. When this facility becomes operational, it is expected to build the Focus and potentially, the C-Max hybrid.
A key attraction for firms to shift production to Mexico are the lower wages in the country as well as its proven rail and shipping infrastructure.
Other automakers like Honda, Nissan, General Motors and Volkswagen all have plans on increasing their presence in Mexico as well.
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