Ford CEO Jim Farley Presses for Tougher Trade Rules on Import-Heavy Rivals

Ford CEO Jim Farley is pushing for a reworked North American trade framework that would put more pressure on automakers relying heavily on imported vehicles, according to Road & Track. In his view, the successor to USMCA should not treat companies with very different manufacturing footprints as if they were on equal footing.

The argument centers on fairness: Farley suggests that rivals bringing in large volumes of cars from outside the region gain an advantage over firms that build and source more locally. He wants the replacement agreement to reflect that difference rather than smooth it over.

His comments add another voice to the broader debate over how US trade policy should treat automotive supply chains, local production, and cross-border manufacturing. As the discussion over USMCA’s future continues, automakers with different levels of domestic investment are likely to keep clashing over what the rules ought to reward.