Ford, Geely discussed bringing Chinese car tech to US: report

Published Sat, Apr 25, 2026 · 12:38 PM

[DETROIT] Ford Motor and Geely Automobile Holdings previously held talks about bringing Chinese automotive technology to the US market through a European joint venture the companies are negotiating, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The discussions began last year and involved Ford potentially licensing Geely’s technology in the US market, but the effort has stalled in recent months, the newspaper reported, citing sources familiar with the matter that it did not identify. Ford and Geely are now focused on working together in the European market.

The prospect of China entering the US auto industry has drawn growing attention as companies such as Geely and BYD have expanded around the world and gained footholds in US neighbours Mexico and Canada.

But Chinese carmakers face significant barriers, including steep tariffs on their electric vehicles and technology prohibitions, that have effectively shut them out of the US market.

US auto executives view China’s carmakers as an existential threat due to their tech-laden, low-cost vehicles that have benefited from significant government support. Ford CEO Jim Farley recently said allowing China’s automakers to sell their vehicles in the US would be “devastating” to domestic manufacturing.

“We should not let them into our country,” Farley said on Fox News earlier this month.

Trump administration officials appear to share that view. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick earlier this month dismissed the possibility of Chinese investment in the US auto industry.

“We are not going to have them here,” Lutnick said. BLOOMBERG