Ford will stop importing the Lincoln Nautilus from China into the United States, shifting production to American factories from 2030 in a move that highlights the growing impact of US trade policy on the automotive industry.

The Nautilus is currently the only Ford model imported directly from China for sale in the US. Built through Ford’s joint venture with Chinese automaker Changan in Hangzhou, the SUV faces a 52.5% tariff when entering the American market. Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company made its decision once the administration’s trade policy became clear.

Ford began importing the Nautilus from China in 2024 after citing a lack of available North American production capacity. Its previous Canadian production site has since been retooled for other vehicles, meaning Ford must establish new domestic capacity before the move can take place.

Tariffs are not the only regulatory issue surrounding the vehicle. Ford had sought permission to continue selling the Nautilus under forthcoming US rules restricting Chinese-developed connected-car hardware and software. The company now says that authorisation is no longer necessary, although Farley stressed that tariffs were the primary reason for relocating production.

The Nautilus remains Lincoln’s best-selling model despite relatively modest volumes. Ford sold around 34,000 in the US during 2025, while sales through July 2026 were down 5.7% year-on-year.

Ford has yet to identify which American plant will build the SUV or how many jobs the move could create.

The decision follows General Motors’ plan to bring Buick Envision production to the US from 2028, suggesting that tariffs are increasingly reshaping where American automakers choose to build vehicles.