- 83% of Ford vehicles sold in America are made here.
- That’s far more than many rivals, who depend on imports.
- CEO wants Ford to be rewarded for this or see rivals punished.
The Trump administration has decided not to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in its “current form,” but will continue holding discussions with neighboring countries to address so-called “shortcomings” in the trade deal. Key sticking points appear to include trade deficits and part content increases as well as a desire for a new agreement that favors America.
That’s likely a tough sell for Canada and Mexico, but Ford CEO Jim Farley is already hoping a new deal will screw over rivals. Speaking to CNBC, the executive said “It’s imperative that any new agreement makes it easier, not harder, to compete with U.S. makers who import from Japan, South Korea and global competitors that import from those locations.”
That’s a not so subtle jab at rivals, who are heavily dependent on imports. The publication noted GM imported 1.17 million vehicles last year and this represented 41% of their domestic sales. Key models include the Chevrolet Trax and Equinox as well as a majority of Buick’s lineup.
While Toyota has a number of plants in the United States, they imported more than 1.19 million vehicles in 2025. As a result, 47% of vehicles sold in America were imported.
Ford has a problem with this as the company claims to assemble “more than six vehicles in America for every one it imports, leading the industry.” The automaker also produced more than 2 million vehicles in America last year and 83% of the vehicles sold in the United States are made here. Of course, building in America typically comes at a higher cost compared to lower wage countries like Mexico.
Farley reportedly thinks the company should be rewarded for building in America or rivals should be hit with penalties for relying on imports. He apparently believes this would ‘level the playing field,’ but only time will tell what materializes in the future.
