Ford Motor plans to move production of some Lincoln models from China to the United States beginning in 2030, Chief Executive Jim Farley told Reuters on Wednesday, describing the shift as difficult but necessary to strengthen the company's domestic manufacturing base.

The decision centres on the Lincoln Nautilus, the main model Ford currently imports from China and one that faces a steep 52.5% US tariff on both gasoline and electric vehicles built there. Ford sold approximately 34,000 Nautilus vehicles in the US last year. The Nautilus is built in China through Ford's long-standing joint venture with Changan Automobile, a manufacturing arrangement that originally allowed the automaker to leverage lower Chinese production costs but has become increasingly untenable as Washington's tariff regime on Chinese-made vehicles has intensified.

Farley disclosed the plan during a joint interview with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. "We made this decision as soon as the policy of the administration was set," Farley said, adding that Ford understood exactly what the tariff policy meant for the company once it became clear. While tariffs were the primary driver, Farley also cited the Connected Vehicle Rule, which restricts the use of certain Chinese technology and hardware in vehicles sold in the US, as a contributing factor. Lutnick framed the shift as a competitive advantage, saying domestic manufacturing gives Ford an edge.

The US-built Lincolns would be sold in the domestic market as part of a broader push to scale up American output, though Ford has not yet disclosed where the vehicles will be manufactured. The 2030 timeline means the near-term earnings impact from existing duties on Chinese imports will persist for several more years, as the current Nautilus generation will likely continue being imported from China through the remainder of its product cycle.

The move follows a similar decision from General Motors, which has already announced plans to shift production of its Buick Envision from China to the US starting in 2028. Together, the two decisions suggest that tariff and regulatory pressure is prompting comparable reshoring moves across Detroit's automakers rather than merely squeezing margins on existing import volumes. Both the Nautilus and Envision are mid-size premium crossovers built in China for the US market, making them especially exposed to the escalating trade barriers between Washington and Beijing.

Separately, Ford said discussions with the Commerce Department led the company to determine that the Nautilus no longer requires special authorisation to continue selling in the US. Ford had previously stated that Nautilus software was developed domestically but installed in China, a combination that required government approval under the Connected Vehicle Rule. Automakers denied such authorisation, including electric vehicle maker Polestar, face outright bans on selling affected products in the US.

The regulatory backdrop for Chinese-linked auto content continues to tighten. A measure approved by the Senate Commerce Committee in July would go further than the existing Connected Vehicle Rule, barring any company more than 15% owned by Chinese entities from selling vehicles in the US. That threshold would affect Mercedes-Benz if the measure becomes law, and it keeps regulatory risk elevated for automakers with significant China exposure.

Ford said Wednesday's announcement builds on Lincoln's existing US manufacturing footprint. The brand already assembles the Navigator in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Aviator at the Chicago Assembly Plant, with both models exported to markets including Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East.