At the Automotive News Congress on September 29, Ford CEO Jim Farley said Europe waited too long to answer Chinese automakers. The door there, he said, has already closed.

 

The United States still has a choice to make, in Farley's view. His comments arrive as Chinese brands' global presence has expanded rapidly since 2020, a pace that's reshaping how established automakers plan their next moves.

Farley pointed to the sustained rise of Chinese brands in Europe. Chinese automakers had a small but growing share of the European market in 2020. Public registration data show their share climbed to high single digits by the mid 2020s and continues to rise.