Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks about regarding the federal government's decision to allow Chinese EV's into Canada at Queen's Park on Wednesday.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Canadians should boycott Chinese-made electric vehicles after Prime Minister Mark Carney struck a deal with that country, as the Premier and industry representatives called on the federal government to do more to support the province’s beleaguered auto sector.
Mr. Ford, appearing alongside auto industry representatives and a national union leader on Wednesday, said Canadians shouldn’t buy any of the 49,000 Chinese EVs set to be imported at a lower tariff rate as a result of Mr. Carney’s recent deal with China.
“Boycott the Chinese EV vehicles. Support companies that are building vehicles here. It’s as simple as that,” Mr. Ford told reporters during a news conference at Queen’s Park.
Mr. Ford was joined on Wednesday by Brian Kingston, president of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, and Unifor national president Lana Payne, who all warned of the negative effects of the China deal.
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Mr. Carney’s agreement with China will allow nearly 50,000 Chinese-made EVs into Canada at a low tariff rate in return for significant reductions in Beijing’s levies on canola seed and a promised elimination of its tariffs on a host of other products. The Chinese EVs are also expected to sell at a lower price, because the people making them earn less than Canadian workers.
The Prime Minister’s Office is defending the deal, saying that 49,000 Chinese-made EVs per year returns Canada to roughly 2023 import levels and represents only 3 per cent of the country’s total auto market. (Mr. Ford has said that it makes up about a third of total EVs sales.)
“This managed re-introduction will provide certainty to domestic manufacturers. These measures will also catalyze considerable Chinese joint-venture investments which will create good-paying and sustainable careers for Canadians, in Ontario and across the country,” a statement from PMO spokeswoman Laura Scaffidi said.
The Ontario Premier, who has said he only received a few hours’ notice from federal officials before the Prime Minister made his announcement in Beijing, said he still hasn’t spoken to Mr. Carney about the agreement.
“It takes about three seconds to make a phone call or a text message. None of us received anything,” Mr. Ford said, referring to himself and the auto and union leaders.
Mr. Ford said he’s “very disappointed” in the deal, but doesn’t believe he’s been critical of the Prime Minister himself. He repeated his call for Ottawa to permanently scrap its EV mandate, which would require 20 per cent of all new auto sales to be zero-emission vehicles. Mr. Carney has paused the mandate for this year, but has not outright cancelled it.
Instead of importing cars, Canada should be making them with its own steel, he said.
“If the Chinese are serious about making investments and creating auto jobs here in Canada, then show us proof. Canadian auto workers can’t feed their families with hypothetical commitments,” Mr. Ford said.
The Premier said he’s set to meet with federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly at Queen’s Park on Monday, where the two are expected to discuss a new federal auto strategy.
Ms. Joly’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Ford will also join his fellow premiers in Ottawa during a meeting of the Council of the Federation on Wednesday, followed by a first ministers’ meeting with the Prime Minister on Thursday.
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Ms. Scaffidi, the PMO spokeswoman, said Mr. Carney is in regular communication with the premiers, as is Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, and that the Prime Minister looks forward to hosting the premiers for the upcoming first ministers’ meeting.
According to a senior Canadian official, Canada is planning to reserve preferential access to its domestic auto market for foreign automakers who build vehicles in this country under a new policy to be released in February. The Globe and Mail is not naming the official, who spoke last the weekend, because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the unreleased auto policy.
Ottawa’s decision to open up the market to Chinese EVs is “deeply concerning,” Mr. Kingston said, adding that it risks the future of the integrated North American automotive supply chain.
Ms. Payne said opening up the market to cheap Chinese EVs threatens an already fragile industry that is also being hurt by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, with about 4,000 autoworkers out of jobs.
“There’s no sugar coating this. We are in the fight of our lives here fending off Trump’s tariffs, and that fight just got a little harder,” she said.
Mr. Ford was also asked Wednesday about Mr. Trump’s reaction to the Prime Minister’s speech at the World Economic Forum. Earlier in the day, the President warned that “Canada lives because of the United States,” and called out Mr. Carney after the Canadian leader warned that the Washington-led rules-based international order is over.
Mr. Ford called the remarks, “Typical President Trump. He goes out on the attack constantly,” and said the Americans should work with Canadians on strengthening the two economies.
He added he’s 100-per-cent supportive of diversifying Canadian trade with “democratically elected governments” but said it needs to happen faster.
“Talk is cheap. We want to see results,” he said.
With reports from Jeff Gray in Toronto