Trump's tweet doesn't convince Ford to build small crossover SUV in US
A tweet from the Oval Office on Sunday wasn't enough to convince Ford Motor Company to build a new compact crossover SUV version of its Focus in the U.S.
President Donald Trump responded to Ford's announcement last month that the administration's tariffs on goods including cars imported from China prompted it to cancel plans to import the 2020 Focus Active.
“Ford has abruptly killed a plan to sell a Chinese-made small vehicle in the U.S. because of the prospect of higher U.S. Tariffs.” CNBC. This is just the beginning. This car can now be BUILT IN THE U.S.A. and Ford will pay no tariffs!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2018
A Ford spokesman responded on Twitter.
“It would not be profitable to build the Focus Active in the U.S. given an expected annual sales volume of fewer than 50,000 units and its competitive segment," Ford spokesman Mike Levine said.
The Focus Active, Ford's answer to the popular Subaru Crosstrek, will still be assembled in China for other global markets. The automaker said earlier this year that as part of its $11 billion restructuring, it will stop selling its Ford Fusion, Taurus, Fiesta, and Focus in the U.S. and cancel all of its sedans and hatchbacks over the next couple of years to sell more profitable crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks.
Assembly of the Focus in the U.S. ended in May and the automaker plans to cut off Fiesta and Taurus production during the 2019 model year. Its Fusion mid-size sedan will continue for about another year and the nameplate may morph into a crossover SUV
A tweet from the Oval Office on Sunday wasn't enough to convince Ford Motor Company to build a new compact crossover SUV version of its Focus in the U.S.
President Donald Trump responded to Ford's announcement last month that the administration's tariffs on goods including cars imported from China prompted it to cancel plans to import the 2020 Focus Active.
“Ford has abruptly killed a plan to sell a Chinese-made small vehicle in the U.S. because of the prospect of higher U.S. Tariffs.” CNBC. This is just the beginning. This car can now be BUILT IN THE U.S.A. and Ford will pay no tariffs!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2018
A Ford spokesman responded on Twitter.
“It would not be profitable to build the Focus Active in the U.S. given an expected annual sales volume of fewer than 50,000 units and its competitive segment," Ford spokesman Mike Levine said.
The Focus Active, Ford's answer to the popular Subaru Crosstrek, will still be assembled in China for other global markets. The automaker said earlier this year that as part of its $11 billion restructuring, it will stop selling its Ford Fusion, Taurus, Fiesta, and Focus in the U.S. and cancel all of its sedans and hatchbacks over the next couple of years to sell more profitable crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks.
Assembly of the Focus in the U.S. ended in May and the automaker plans to cut off Fiesta and Taurus production during the 2019 model year. Its Fusion mid-size sedan will continue for about another year and the nameplate may morph into a crossover SUV
