Ford Will Not Build New Focus Cars in U.S., Despite Trump’s Tariffs Tweet
Ford will not be moving production of a hatchback to the U.S. from China — despite Donald Trump’s claim on Sunday that his taxes on Chinese imports mean the Focus Active can be built in America.
In late August, citing Trump’s new tariffs, Ford said it was dropping plans to ship the Focus Active from China to America.
Trump declared victory on Sunday, writing: “This is just the beginning. This car can now be BUILT IN THE USA and Ford will pay no tariffs!”
But in a recent statement, Ford said it would “not be profitable to build the Focus Active in the U.S.,” given forecast yearly sales below 50,000.
That means Ford simply will not sell the vehicle in the U.S. Kristin Dziczek of the Center for Automotive Research said Ford can make Focuses “in many other plants around the world, so if they decided to continue to sell a Focus variant in the U.S. market, there are several options other than building it in the United States.”
In April, Ford announced plans to stop making cars in the U.S. — except for the Mustang — and to focus on more profitable SUVs. In May, it stopped making Focus sedans at a plant in Wayne, Michigan.