Ford Motor Co. says it is bringing thousands of jobs to the United States, which could include Michigan, by shifting the production of Lincoln vehicles.
The automaker announced on Aug. 12 that starting in 2030, it will increase the production of vehicles in its luxury brand, Lincoln, in the United States. Ford did not say which plants would get the extra production.
The Dearborn-based automaker also said in a statement that, as part of its plan to bring back Lincoln production to U.S. shores, it will phase out importing Lincoln vehicles from China for sale here. Ford currently builds the Lincoln Nautilus two-row SUV at its plant in Hangzhou, China, and sells the vehicle in North America and China. Ford also builds the midsize luxury sedan, Lincoln Z,
in China through its Changan Ford joint venture. It is sold only in China.
It was unclear whether Ford will continue production of the Lincoln Z in China. But Ford said the move to bring more Lincoln production stateside will further cement its presence as America's automaker.
“Lincoln is a quintessentially American brand, and Ford is America’s automaker," Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement. "This wasn’t necessarily the easiest path. In fact, it’s a path most of our competitors aren’t choosing to take. But Ford builds in America because we believe in America, and we’re betting on that belief again."
That may be true, but it is also a business decision considering in March 2025, President Donald Trump put 25% tariffs on all imported vehicles and car parts. For Ford, those tariffs amounted to a roughly $2 billion expense. From January through the end of July, Ford has sold 20,050 Lincoln Nautilus cars, down 5.7% from the same year-ago period. Despite being down in sales, it is still Lincoln's top-seller this year.
Also, it should be noted that there are other automakers moving production to the United States. The Detroit Three have each announced major capital investments and moves to bring production of vehicles, engines, and battery assembly lines either back to the United States or to expand domestic footprints. The moves are mostly in response to less-than-anticipated demand for electric vehicles and the higher tariff costs.
Ford currently builds its Lincoln Navigator SUV at its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville and the Lincoln Aviator SUV at Chicago Assembly Plant. Both vehicles will continue in production at those plants and the automaker said it will continue to export the cars to markets including Canada, Mexico and the Middle East.
Ford said its move to expand Lincoln production in the U.S. builds on its existing U.S. manufacturing base and Ford’s commitment to American manufacturing. The move to increase production is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect U.S. jobs, Ford said, but did not offer any further information on where and what kinds of jobs.
Ford was the top automaker in U.S. vehicle assembly and U.S. vehicle exports in 2025. Ford also employs 56,300 hourly manufacturing workers in the United States, the most of any car company.
Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer for USA TODAY Co. who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford shifting Lincoln production from China to the U.S., creating jobs
