Connected-car rule prompts Ford, other automakers to seek licenses for China-built models​

Ford and other automakers are seeking U.S. government authorization to keep selling certain China-built connected vehicles after a U.S. ban on most Chinese software and related hardware rules. Reuters reports Ford asked the Commerce Department for approval to continue importing its China-built Lincoln Nautilus SUV, a model already sold in U.S. showrooms before the restrictions. Ford said the Nautilus’ software is developed in the U.S. but installed in China, requiring government approval to keep U.S. sales going. The software prohibitions were adopted in January 2025 under President Joe Biden for national security reasons and are set to apply to model year 2027; hardware restrictions follow for model year 2030. Ford expects to start importing the 2027 Nautilus in January, leaving limited time to secure a license amid a broader, more difficult decoupling of U.S. hardware supply chains from China.