Ford pulls guidance as it expects 1.5 billion dollar hit from tariffs this year
The company said its net income fell about two-thirds in the first quarter and revenue dropped 5%.
Ford Motor Company says it expects to take a 1.5 billion dollar hit to its operating profit from tariffs this year and is withdrawing its full-year financial guidance due to the uncertainty created by the Trump administration’s evolving trade policy.
Ford said on Monday that its net income fell by about two-thirds in the first quarter to 473 million dollars, or 12 cents per share, from 1.33 billion dollars, or 33 cents per share in the year-earlier quarter.
Revenue dropped 5% to 40.66 billion dollars.
The results topped the expectations of analysts surveyed by FactSet, who forecast earnings per share for the quarter would be flat.
Revenue was forecast to be 38.02 billion dollars.
Still, the stock fell more than 2% in after-hours trading.
Last week, General Motors said it is bracing for a potential impact from auto tariffs as high as five billion dollars in 2025.
Ford and Tesla are expected to see a smaller impact from tariffs than GM and other automakers because they assemble more of their cars in the US.
Still, what impact they do see will not be insignificant.
Ford originally forecast 2025 earnings before interest and taxes in a range of seven billion dollars to 8.5 billion dollars, but on Monday the company said the risks associated with tariffs “make updating full year guidance challenging right now given the potential range of outcomes”.
Ford chief executive Jim Farley has been touting the advantage that higher domestic production gives his company and he did so again on Monday, while acknowledging that the shake-up to the industry from tariffs is still in its early stages.
“It’s too early to gauge the related market dynamics, including the potential industrywide supply chain disruptions,” said Mr Farley on an earnings call with analysts.
“Automakers with the largest US footprint will have a big advantage, and, boy, that is that true for Ford.
“It puts us in the pole position.”
US President Donald Trump says one goal of his trade policy is to move more manufacturing of products such as autos back to the US.
Last week, Mr Trump signed executive orders to relax some of his 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts in a move the president said would allow automakers more time to transition their manufacturing operations.
Automakers and independent analyses have indicated that the tariffs could raise prices, reduce sales and make US production less competitive worldwide.
The potential impact of tariffs dominated Ford’s earnings calls, with one executive noting how just a little trouble with a few parts could have a dramatic effect.
“The rare earth materials from China, for example, how they are imported, not just for us, but for the entire industry, has become rather complicated over the last few weeks,” said chief operating officer Kumar Galhotra.
“It would take only a few parts to potentially cause some disruption into our production.”
