Ford Motor Co. has pulled its full-year financial forecast and warned of a potential $1.5 billion (€1.39 billion) blow to its profits this year due to escalating trade tariffs and uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policy.
In its first-quarter earnings report released Monday, the automaker cited unpredictable market conditions stemming from the Trump administration’s evolving tariff regime as the key reason for suspending its guidance. While Ford is less exposed than some competitors thanks to its strong U.S. manufacturing base, the company acknowledged that the threat to supply chains remains significant.
“Given the potential range of outcomes, updating full-year guidance is challenging right now,” the company said in a statement. Ford had previously projected earnings before interest and taxes between $7 billion and $8.5 billion (€6.2–7.5 billion) for 2025.
CEO Jim Farley emphasized the advantage of domestic production, noting that Ford’s U.S.-focused footprint places it in a stronger position relative to global rivals. “Automakers with the largest U.S. footprint will have a big advantage, and, boy, that is true for Ford,” Farley said during an earnings call. “But it’s too early to gauge the full impact of industry-wide supply chain disruptions.”
Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra pointed to rare earth materials from China as a growing area of concern, noting that “it would take only a few parts to potentially cause some disruption to our production.”
Despite the growing challenges, Ford’s first-quarter results beat analyst expectations. Net income fell sharply to $471 million (€417 million), a drop of nearly two-thirds from $1.33 billion (€1.17 billion) a year earlier. Revenue declined by 5% to $40.7 billion (€35.9 billion), driven by planned plant shutdowns tied to new product rollouts and inventory adjustments.
The automaker’s results surpassed projections by analysts surveyed by FactSet, who had estimated quarterly revenue of $38 billion (€33.5 billion).
Ford’s relatively limited exposure to tariffs contrasts with peers such as General Motors, which last week warned of a potential $5 billion (€4.4 billion) hit from similar trade actions. Tesla and Ford, with larger U.S.-based production operations, are considered better insulated.
Still, Ford does anticipate modest price increases of 1% to 1.5% in the U.S. auto market during the second half of the year as a result of higher costs for imported cars and parts.
The company plans to provide updated financial guidance when it releases its second-quarter earnings later this year.
