Ford STUMBLES In China — How Much Worse Will It Get If A Trade War Breaks Out?

Ford Motor’s China slump intensified, with vehicle sales tumbling 38 percent in June and the automaker recording its worst-ever first half, as buyers shunned its aging models that are awaiting overhauls and flocked to rivals.

The U.S. automaker announced on Friday it sold 62,057 vehicles in China in June, taking its sales for the first half of the year to 400,443, down 25 percent compared with the year-ago period. According to consultancy LMC Automotive, it was Ford’s biggest first-half percentage decline since starting operations in China in 2001.

Ford, which undertook a big expansion in China earlier this decade, is paying the price for a lack of new models in its lineup. Last year, its sales fell 6 percent even as overall vehicle sales in China rose 3 percent.

“We always knew it would be a challenging year for us given our position in the product cycle,” Peter Fleet, head of Ford’s Asia-Pacific operations, which include China, said in a statement...
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TheSteve - 7/8/2018 7:55:21 PM

-1 Boost

News Flash: The US has already started trade wars with Canada, Mexico, the European Union, Japan, and China. Did I miss anyone? These trade wars are already in progress. #45 threatens escalation because of foreign nations' retaliation to the US-initiated trade wars.

So far, North Korea and Russia are still safe.

"Art Of The Deal": Wage war on your friends. Make friends with despots.

valhallakey - 7/11/2018 3:41:36 AM

+2 Boost

Haha, seems about right :)

MDarringer - 7/8/2018 7:57:59 PM

+6 Boost

When product is old, sales are stale. Then factor in the loss in desirability of sedans and hatchbacks, and Ford is in a waiting stance. Returning to noticeable and substantial reskinnings every 2-3 years like was the norm for American cars in the 1960s is precisely how to solve this. The Focus and the Fiesta were allowed to get ANCIENT.

TomM - 7/9/2018 7:19:24 AM

+2 Boost

Fords problem in china extends beyond age of the product. Again - the Chinese market is markedly different from the European market - as the American market is too. Ford decided to go with FORD "1" -= and instead of producing cars for Us and China - they forced their too small European cars on those markets.

And those markets responded by not buying them. Ford will end up a Truck company in the USA _ where it does taylor its trucks to our market - and likely a fringe player in the car market elsewhere. If it were not for the special stock the Ford Family Owns - Ford would be prime for a takeover.

EVisNow - 7/9/2018 9:03:09 AM

+2 Boost

Everybody agrees that Ford cars suck, even the Chinese. But when the word "morgue" was used, people cry foul. Very hilarious.

Ford is GM 10 years ago. No bailout this time.