Ford CEO: 'Too Late' for Europe on Chinese Automakers, Not U.S.

Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley says Europe has already lost its window to hold back Chinese automakers — and he wants Washington to learn from that before opening the U.S. market.

"I think it's just important for us to take our time to be considerate," Farley said Tuesday at the Automotive News Congress in Detroit. "I watch what's happening in Europe right now, where that was not the case, and it's really something that they have to deal with now, and it's too late."

The numbers back his warning. Global market share for Chinese brands jumped nearly 70% from 2020 to 2025, according to market research and consulting firm GlobalData. In Europe, Chinese automakers held virtually no market share in 2020. By August, they controlled 12%, according to Germany-based Dataforce.

Farley is fighting this fight on two fronts. Ford is trying to compete against an influx of Chinese automakers entering Europe. At the same time, it is attempting to partner with some Chinese companies to fill plants and gain assistance in other technologies, such as electric vehicle batteries.

The most concrete example: Ford and Chinese automaker Geely said in July that Geely plans to build EVs at a Ford-owned plant in Spain by early next year through a new manufacturing joint venture.

"Our answer is pretty simple. We're going to partner with the Chinese where we don't have [intellectual property], where we can be more capital efficient in places like Europe or Southeast Asia," Farley said.

But partnership is only half of Ford's strategy. Farley said the company also plans to compete directly with the Chinese, and it is preparing to launch its "universal electric vehicle" next year with a pickup truck.

That dual approach has drawn scrutiny in Washington. The Trump administration sent Ford a letter earlier this month expressing "profound concern" about its ties to Chinese companies and questioning its strategic trajectory. Ford defended its stance at the time, pointing to its position as America's top-producing carmaker and noting it employs more hourly workers in the country than any other automaker.

Farley's warning lands amid fast-moving policy debates. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited President Donald Trump last week in a high-profile meeting. Trump said earlier this month he might be "OK" letting Chinese automakers into the U.S. if they produced vehicles domestically.

Congress may act regardless. Bills now pending on Capitol Hill could restrict or even permanently ban Chinese automotive brands from entering the U.S. market.

The stakes for Ford are considerable. It has bet on Chinese partnerships to keep European plants running and to access battery technology, while betting on a low-cost universal EV platform to win American buyers. If Washington slams the door on Chinese automakers, Ford's Spain joint venture model could face political headwinds at home. If it leaves the door open, Farley's argument goes, the U.S. risks repeating Europe's experience — a 12% market share transfer in under five years.