Ford to Expand U.S. Lincoln Production Starting 2030, Phase Out China Imports
Key Takeaways
- •Ford intends to expand U.S. Lincoln production beginning in 2030 and eventually stop importing vehicles from China for the brand's American customers.
- •The current Lincoln Nautilus is assembled at a Changan Ford facility in Hangzhou, China, and exported to the United States, making the 2030 plan a reversal of the brand's recent manufacturing geography.
- •Ford recorded approximately $3 billion in gross costs tied to tariffs implemented or revised in 2025, resulting in an estimated $2 billion impact on earnings before interest and taxes after offsets.
- •Lincoln already produces the Navigator in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Aviator in Chicago, with both models exported to additional markets including Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East.
- •Ford has not disclosed which specific models will be moved to U.S. production, which plants will be affected, or how much capital will be invested in the expansion.
Ford Motor Company announced Wednesday that it will expand U.S. production of Lincoln vehicles beginning in 2030 and eventually cease importing vehicles from China for the luxury brand's American customers.
The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker said the expansion is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect U.S. jobs. However, Ford did not disclose the planned investment amount or identify which plants would receive the additional production.
The decision represents a notable shift for Lincoln's U.S. lineup, which currently includes the China-built Nautilus. The redesigned Nautilus is assembled at the Changan Ford plant in Hangzhou, China, and exported to the United States — a production arrangement that began after the previous-generation Nautilus was built at Ford's Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. The move to Chinese assembly for the current model makes the 2030 plan a reversal of Lincoln's recent manufacturing geography for one of its core U.S. offerings.
Ford did not specify whether Nautilus production would relocate to the U.S. under the 2030 plan, nor did it identify which China-imported vehicles would be affected by the phaseout.
The announcement comes as Ford and the broader automotive industry continue to grapple with elevated costs and uncertainty stemming from tariffs and shifting global trade policies. According to Ford's latest annual report, the company recorded approximately $3 billion in gross costs related to tariffs implemented or revised in 2025, resulting in an approximately $2 billion impact on earnings before interest and taxes after offsets. The scale of those costs underscores the financial pressure that cross-border supply chains are placing on automakers with manufacturing footprints spanning both the U.S. and China.
Ford did not indicate whether tariffs or other trade considerations factored into its decision to discontinue Lincoln imports from China.
Lincoln already manufactures multiple vehicles in the United States. The Navigator is assembled at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, while the Aviator is produced at the Chicago Assembly Plant. Both vehicles are also exported to markets including Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East.
The additional production would further expand Ford's substantial U.S. manufacturing footprint. The company stated that it assembled more than 2 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2025 — more than any other automaker — and led the industry in both U.S. vehicle exports and hourly autoworker employment. Ford currently employs approximately 56,300 hourly manufacturing workers in the United States.
Several key details of the 2030 expansion remain undisclosed, including which specific models will be produced domestically, where that production will be located, and how much Ford plans to invest. The multi-year timeline suggests a phased implementation rather than an immediate restructuring of Lincoln's supply chain.
Source: Fox Business
