Ontario Premier Doug Ford continued his campaign against the importing of Chinese electric vehicles into Canada.
He also took a swipe at President Donald Trump, after Trump’s speech to the World Economic Forum. Ford said the U.S. president remains relentless in trying to create a more unstable, unsafe and uncertain world. But he's not pleased at Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent deal to allow Chinese EVs into the country, either.
Ford was joined by leaders in the auto sector who say Canada risks losing the auto industry and thousands of jobs in vehicle manufacturing moves out of Canada.
"Look, there’s no sugar coating this. We are in the fight of our lives here," said Lana Payne, president of UNIFOR. "Fending off Trump’s tariffs and that fight just got a little harder."
UNIFOR is the country’s largest private sector union, with 40,000 members in Canada’s auto industry alone, most of them in Ontario.
She and other auto industry advocates are angry over Carney’s recent deal with China.
"In order for Canada to build our own competitive EV sector, we need to learn from innovative partners, access their supply chain and increase local demand," said Carney. "And to help deliver the full potential of these partnerships and bring down costs for Canadians, Canada has agreed to allow up 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into the Canadian market."
Carney said the tariff rate would be 6.1% not the 100% that Ottawa imposed in lock step with Washington.
Premier Ford was among the first to slam the deal.
"I discourage anyone from buying a Chinese vehicle. But if they decide to do that, at what cost?" he said. "It's at the cost of your neighbor down the street that is working in the auto sector that he’s not going to have or she’s not going to have a job."
Ford said Canada is being attacked on two fronts by Trump’s tariffs and now by China.
David Adams is the president of Global Auto Makers of Canada. He agrees with the premier.
"This just adds frankly more uncertainty to an already uncertain automotive market," said Adams.
But reaction from President Trump in Washington to Carney’s deal with China was unexpected.
"That’s okay, that’s what he should be doing," Trump told reporters. "It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a trade deal with China you should do that."
To put that comment in perspective, Carney did tell Trump beforehand that an EV agreement with China was in the works.
Some in the auto sector are praising the deal. Nazar Navolsky is the vice president of Favorit Motors in Toronto.
"I think that the population needs to be educated on the benefits of EVs," Navolsky said. "There’s a lot of wrong misunderstandings.’
That sentiment is echoed by Devin Arthur who is with the electric vehicle owners and advocacy group EV Society.
"Having more choice in the market is obviously more beneficial," he said. "[It] leads to better competition, then those prices will come down and that makes vehicles more affordable for everyone in Canada."
Carney said he also wants to consider joint ventures and investments with Chinese companies to build a Canadian electric vehicle in Canada. And while Trump supported the trade deal, many in his administration are critical of Canada’s decision, saying there’s no way Chinese EVs will be allowed into the U.S.
