Ford will export Maverick SUV to China
SHANGHAI (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. will start exporting its Maverick sports utility vehicle to China under an agreement between Beijing and Washington intended to boost U.S. exports, the second-biggest U.S. automaker said.
The SUVs, produced at a Ford plant in Kansas City, Mo., will be priced at 288,000 yuan ($34,850) each and will be sold through more than 100 Ford brand retail dealers in China, the company said in a statement.
The policy will help Ford sell the SUVs -- called the Escape in the United States -- in China at a more competitive price.
The Maverick, introduced in China in July 2003, was previously sourced from Taiwan and sold in China for 428,000 yuan ($51,800).
China also promised to buy cars and auto parts from General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG, which owns the U.S. based Chrysler. The "buy USA" deal is part of efforts to trim the United States' soaring trade deficit with China, which last year hit $124 billion -- an all-time high for any country.
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