Ford eyes level playing field with Toyota, GM imports under new USMCA

DETROIT — As negotiations for the USMCA North American trade agreement officially restart Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley is clear about what the company wants as part of the new talks: a more level playing field.

He told CNBC that he wants automakers like Ford, which largely produce their vehicles domestically, to be rewarded under the agreement. However, Farley said other automakers also: General Engines And Toyota Motor – Those who can produce here but are also heavily dependent on imported vehicles should receive more penalties.

“It’s imperative that any new agreement makes it easier, not harder, to compete with U.S. manufacturers importing from Japan, South Korea, and global competitors importing from those regions,” Farley told CNBC in a phone interview Wednesday. he said. “That’s the key for us.”

Production in such countries is often cheaper due to labor costs.

While GM and Toyota rank 1st and 2nd, respectively, in US sales, they are also among the two countries that import the most vehicles in 2025.

According to industry data, GM imported 1.17 million vehicles, or 41% of its U.S. sales, while Toyota imported 1.19 million, or 47% of its domestic sales.

Hyundai Motor, which plans to roughly double domestic sales produced in the United States to 80% by 2030, became the largest importer of vehicles from South Korea, followed by GM.

Ford by the way reports More than 2 million vehicles were assembled in the United States last year; this was more than any other automaker, including 311,000 vehicles exported to more than 60 international markets. Last year it imported 378,000 of 2.2 million sales, or 17%.

“Ford is the leader in US auto manufacturing, having the most vehicles produced in the US, but more importantly, we import very little, export the most, and have the most UAWs.” [union] “That’s why we’re especially proud of the ratio between what we produce here and what we import,” Farley said.

Farley’s comments came as the Trump administration decided not to renew the trilateral trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, opting instead to conduct annual reviews that could lead to the deal expiring by 2036.

The auto industry represented about 18% of America’s trade with neighboring countries last year, according to industry data, making it a key sector in the discussions. Automakers and others monitoring the talks worry that reopening the deal could create additional trade uncertainty that would lead to lower investment and fewer jobs.

A consortium of U.S. trade groups representing most automakers, dealers and suppliers on Wednesday Supported the tripartite agreement like countries have now.

“We call on the leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico to quickly reach consensus on an extension of the USMCA that preserves the existing trilateral partnership, returns preferential treatment for qualified goods, and maintains the stability and predictability that has helped the industry thrive over the past six years,” the statement said.