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Ford CEO Jim Farley has the ear of President Donald Trump\u2014and he has a lot to say about what the administration needs to do to support the U.S. auto industry.<\/p>\n
Farley said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Thursday the White House has been \u201cgreat\u201d to work with, but has several asks for how the administration can improve trade to bolster U.S. automakers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey always answer the phone,\u201d Farley said. \u201cBut there is a long list of things we got to work through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump visited Ford\u2019s Dearborn, Mich., facility on Tuesday, touring production of the F-150 truck factory, in an effort to show support for U.S. manufacturing amid growing concerns of a weak labor market. Even as American carmakers have poured billions of dollars into reshoring jobs and expanding U.S. production, domestic manufacturing jobs have continued to dwindle. Ford is making a $19.5 billion pivot away from some larger electric vehicle production in favor of less expensive and more hybrid models as it navigates lower EV demand and consumers\u2019 affordability concerns. The move follows Trump\u2019s killing an EV tax credit which went into effect at the end of September.<\/p>\n
The administration has made an effort to address some of these concerns, according to Farley. He praised Trump\u2019s decision to rollback fuel economy standards and ease some auto tariffs, but said his automaker continues to be impacted by the levies\u2014particularly those affecting aluminum, a common material in auto manufacturing. In February 2025, Farley said the tariffs would cost Ford billions of dollars, all the while serving as a \u201cbonanza\u201d for Asian auto manufacturing competitors.<\/p>\n
Indeed, Farley has identified China as a top competitor to U.S. autos, posing an \u201cexistential threat,\u201d not just because of the country\u2019s technology prowess, but also in its labor infrastructure that supports manufacturing, explaining last September that American manufacturing is lagging behind Chinese rivals in the \u201cessential economy,\u201d or industries that manufacture physical goods. He called on American businesses and policymakers to invest in building a blue-collar workforce.<\/p>\n
Farley said on Thursday China has been able to nab meaningful market share in Europe\u2014as much as 10% in the EV market\u2014as a result of lower prices, which he attributed to Chinese government subsidies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey pose a lot of threat to labor locally, they have huge subsidies from the government that they\u2019re exporting,\u201d Farley said. \u201cAs a country, we need to decide what is a fair playing field.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chief among Farley\u2019s ongoing concerns was the continuation of the Canada-United-States-Mexico-Agreement (CUSMA), a trade deal that replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and which is subject to review this year. It will either be left to expire or be renewed for 16 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe built our entire vehicle business as an industry between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.,\u201d Farley said. \u201cWe have to get this revised.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Trump imposed a 25% tariff on autos from Mexico and Canada last year, CUSMA has allowed workarounds for those countries to ease the burden of the levies. Farley said he wants to protect the deal, as so much of the auto industry in North America is interconnected and relies on the openness of cross-border supply chains, which is both efficient and cost-saving.<\/p>\n
Trump, who signed the agreement in 2020, has undermined the deal, eschewing the need for cars manufactured in other parts of North America. The president\u2019s most recent criticisms of the agreement came amid comments shortly following his tour of the Ford plant.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could have it or not. It wouldn\u2019t matter to me,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI don\u2019t really care about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
#Ford #CEO #Jim #Farley #Trump #administration #answer #phone<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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