Mexican Media Brands
Ford: No Plan for U.S.-Built Focus Crossover Model
Ford Motor Co., which last month canceled plans to import a crossover version of its Focus small car from China, says it makes no economic sense to make the car in the U.S. instead.
#economics
Share
Ford Motor Co., which last month canceled plans to import a crossover version of its Focus small car from China, says it makes no economic sense to make the car in the U.S. instead.
Ford dropped the import scheme on worries about likely U.S. tariffs on such vehicles. That decision prompted President Donald Trump to declare that the Focus Active model (left) could be built in the U.S., thereby sidestepping the tax.
Not so, Ford quickly responded. The company says that projected U.S. demand for the five-door hatch—about 50,000 units per year—isn’t great enough to justify the cost of local production. Ford also cites strong competition in the U.S. sporty crossover segment.
The company reiterates that it will simply omit the model from its North American lineup. Ford also debuted the Focus Active in Europe earlier this year.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Ford’s $42 Billion Cash Cow
F-Series pickups generate about 30% of the carmaker’s revenue. The tally is about twice as much as what McDonald’s pulls in.
-
On Lincoln-Shinola, Euro EV Sales, Engineered Carbon, and more
On a Lincoln-Shinola concept, Euro EV sales, engineered carbon for fuel cells, a thermal sensor for ADAS, battery analytics, and measuring vehicle performance in use with big data
-
China and U.S. OEMs
When Ford announced its 3rd quarter earning on October 24, the official announcement said, in part, “Company revenue was up 3 percent year over year, with net income and company adjusted EBIT both down year over year, primarily driven by continued challenges in China.” The previous day, perhaps as a preemptive move to answer the question “If things are going poorly in China, what are you doing about it?, Ford announced that it was establishing Ford China as a stand-alone business unit.