Ford set to export Mustang

For the first time in its 50-year history, Mustang will be available to customers around the world in over 100 markets, with first shipments headed for Asia and vehicles arriving in Europe midyear.

The all-new Mustang – assembled in Flat Rock, Michigan – now joins other Ford and Lincoln vehicles exported to countries abroad.

In 2013, Ford Motor Company shipped more than 380,000 vehicles from the United States, making the automaker a top US exporter of vehicles.

“Henry Ford exported the sixth Model A assembled in 1903 and we continue this legacy today,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas.

By making Ford vehicles available to global consumers, Ford can claim it “supports thousands of jobs across the US”. The 2015 Mustang is supported by US suppliers in 25 states.

In 2013, the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan, the car’s production home, celebrated the 1 millionth Mustang built there. The facility has 3,000 employees working two shifts at full capacity to produce Mustang and Fusion.

In addition, 100 jobs at the Port of Portland have now been added to support Ford exports bound for Asia Pacific and other markets. It is a gateway for exports of Ford vehicles to China and Korea.

The addition of a right-hand-drive Mustang to Ford’s global vehicle line-up will allow the iconic pony car to be exported to over 25 of these markets around the world, including the UK, Australia and South Africa.

Other Ford vehicles produced in the US and exported around the world include the Ford Explorer, largely produced at Chicago Assembly Plant in Illinois. In 2012, Ford exported just 200 Explorers to China; in 2014, that number increased to more than 9,000. 

In September 2014, Ford Motor Company began shipping Lincoln vehicles from the Port of Portland to China. By the end of 2014, there were a total of eight Lincoln dealers throughout China.