The criticism comes amid a broader debate over how US automakers should engage with China, with Ford’s CEO Jim Farley warning of a threat from Chinese automakers while also partnering with firms such as CATL, Geely and BYD [thread#01a088b7-2304-7ee3-9123-427d675e1d49]
Despite the backlash, the White House and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick praised Ford’s investment in US production and its decision to shift some Lincoln output from China to America, while Duffy’s letter called the timeline for the shift “unacceptably slow” [thread#01a088b7-2304-7ee3-9123-427d675e1d49] [thread#01a0826b-ce6e-7ee6-a8bd-85ff5988eebe]
Ford’s spokesperson described the situation as “puzzling” and said the company maintains a productive dialogue with the administration, underscoring the administration’s mixed signals on Chinese auto partnerships [thread#01a088b7-2304-7ee3-9123-427d675e1d49]
The dispute reflects long‑standing tensions over China’s growing dominance in the auto industry and the US government’s struggle to balance protectionism with the need for technology access [thread#01a088b7-2304-7ee3-9123-427d675e1d49]
