Ford Motor Company’s CEO, Jim Farley, recently outlined a preliminary framework to senior Trump administration officials for enabling Chinese automakers to build vehicles in the United States through partnerships with American manufacturers. Under the proposed arrangement, U.S. companies would hold controlling stakes in joint ventures, ensuring shared profit and technology exchange between the two countries.
According to people familiar with the matter, Farley presented the concept last month at the Detroit Auto Show during discussions with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. These talks followed comments by President Trump in mid-January signaling his openness to Chinese automakers establishing factories and hiring U.S. workers.
Since then, China has gradually liberalized its auto sector. Tesla’s Shanghai factory, the country’s first wholly foreign-owned auto plant, began construction in January 2019 and started production later that year. More recently, Toyota announced plans in February 2025 for a fully owned electric-vehicle plant in Shanghai to produce Lexus models, with construction that began in June 2025 and production slated for 2027.
In parallel developments, Ford has reportedly explored a joint venture with Xiaomi to manufacture electric vehicles in the United States, though that proposal was later denied. Ford and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group are also in discussions to share technology and manufacturing costs, according to industry reports.
Source: CNEVPost
