Lincoln Plans to Expand Its U.S. Production and Phase Out Chinese Imports Beginning in 2030
- Ford announced plans to phase out the importation of Chinese-built Lincoln vehicles beginning in 2030.
- The Nautilus is currently imported from China, and Lincoln is expected to start importing the Corsair from China for the 2027 model year.
- It’s unclear if Ford will eventually discontinue the Corsair and Nautilus or move them into an existing U.S. assembly plant.
Beginning in 2030, Ford plans to phase out Chinese manufacturing for Lincoln models and bring all of its Lincoln production back to the United States in a move it says will “further strengthen Ford’s position as America’s No. 1 auto producer.”
Two models in Lincoln’s lineup are currently manufactured in the United States. The Aviator comes out of Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant, and the Navigator is built at its Kentucky Truck Plant. But the Lincoln Nautilus, the brand’s bestselling model in 2025, is manufactured in Hangzhou, China.
2027 Lincoln Corsair
The Nautilus, which was manufactured in Canada for its first generation, moved to China in 2024. The Corsair recently ended production in the U.S. as Ford retools the Louisville Assembly Plant for the upcoming Fathom electric truck, but Lincoln is now expected to start importing the Corsair from China starting in 2027. It’s unclear what will happen to the Nautilus and Corsair after Chinese imports end.
The shift is undoubtedly influenced by federal backlash and increased tariffs on Chinese-produced vehicles in the United States. Automakers are already adjusting to software-related bans on internet-connected vehicles that took effect for 2027 vehicles, and they’re preparing for a hardware ban that’s set to take place in 2030 models.
If the Nautilus and Corsair remain in circulation after Lincoln halts U.S.-bound production in China, it’s unclear where the SUVs would be produced. Ford operates nine assembly plants in the United States. In China, it operates five.
Ford says expanding Lincoln’s production in the United States will generate thousands of new jobs. The Blue Oval finished 2025 with 56,300 hourly employees on payroll, which is more than any other automaker. It also holds the top spot for the highest U.S.-built vehicle output and exports, with more than 2 million vehicles rolling off assembly lines last year.
For the time being, however, Lincoln’s entry-level Corsair and mid-tier Nautilus will presumably continue to be imported from China until Ford phases out its Chinese production beginning in 2030.
➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.
Alayna Wilkening grew up reading motorsport magazines and following her grandpa around his Chevrolet dealership's showroom floor. In true Hoosier fashion, her first car was a hot pink custom cardboard "Fiero-vette" for her kindergarten Kindy 500 race. She now autocrosses a 1994 Miata with her dad, which she learned to drive the night before her first event. Alayna went to Indiana University and graduated with a degree in journalism and a minor in graphic design. As a testament to her great taste in cars, her first real one was a metallic orange 2007 Chevy HHR, which she lovingly called "The Dumptruck."