Overview
- Canada’s agreement permits up to 49,000 China-made EVs annually at a 6.1% tariff, with half priced below CA$35,000, in return for reduced Chinese duties on Canadian canola.
- Doug Ford stood with Unifor and auto manufacturing leaders to urge consumers to avoid Chinese models and to press Ottawa for protections for Ontario’s auto sector.
- Union and industry officials warn China’s state-backed overcapacity makes meaningful local manufacturing unlikely, with one parts association leader saying 50,000 cars equal roughly a plant shift and thousands of supplier jobs.
- Ottawa says the capped reopening represents less than 3% of Canada’s new-vehicle market and is intended to draw Chinese joint ventures and EV investment within three years.
- Implementation details and firm investment commitments remain unsettled as the federal government signals a February policy to reserve preferential market access for automakers that build in Canada.