Liberal Leader Mark Carney speaks during a visit to the Ambassador Bridge linking Ontario with Michigan, as part of his Liberal Party election campaign tour, in Windsor, Ont., on March 26.Blair Gable/Reuters
Liberal Leader Mark Carney is promising a $2-billion fund as part of a broader pledge to protect Canada’s auto sector in the face of tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
During an election campaign stop in Windsor, Ont., a major hub for Canada’s auto industry, Mr. Carney said that if his party were to form government, it would build an “all-in-Canada” manufacturing network to produce more car parts domestically.
“There’s no building without manufacturing, no manufacturing without strong workers, and no workers without strong unions,” Mr. Carney said. “With today’s announcement, we will protect workers from American tariffs, create higher-paying jobs, and build an all-in-Canada auto manufacturing network.”
He made his announcement against the backdrop of the Ambassador Bridge that connects Windsor to Detroit. “The Ambassador Bridge has, for almost a century, stood as a symbol of co-operation and peace – a symbol of the greatest friendship between two countries the world has ever seen,” Mr. Carney said.
The bridge is more than a symbol. It carries a quarter of all goods traded between Canada and the United States: 140 billion dollars every year; 400 million every single day.”
Mr. Carney said, however, that Mr. Trump’s conduct has placed Canada-U.S. trade in jeopardy
The U.S. President has imposed 25-per-cent tariffs on Canadian steel and has threatened more to come April 2.
Trump to announce tariffs on auto imports today, White House says
Mr. Carney said Wednesday that he would use the government to “prioritize and procure Canadian-built vehicles, catalyzing domestic investment to grow the Canadian auto industry.”
His pledged $2-billion fund is to boost the domestic auto sector’s competitiveness, “protect manufacturing jobs, support workers to upskill their expertise in the industry, and build a fortified Canadian supply chain – from raw materials to finished vehicles.”
The proposed all-in-Canada network would see Ottawa work with industry “to build more car parts in Canada, limit those parts crossing the border during production, and attract investment into our own industry,” the Liberal Party said in a statement.
Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, said Canada’s auto sector business strategy is currently based on an assumption of tariff-free access to the United States.
“It has worked incredibly well for both sides but it may be coming to an end,” Mr. Volpe said.
“In the event that it does end because of a tariff wall designed to damage the Canadian industry permanently, it would be prudent to help Canadian suppliers become better positioned to win contracts with Canadian-based auto assembly for Canadian facing auto sales,” he said.
“While a tariff wall changes the value proposition for everyone, we equally make and purchase up to two million cars a year in Canada. We have to look at all the options potentially available for job retention and return on investment.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was asked Wednesday about the potential for new auto tariffs from the U.S. government.
“As for President Trump, my message to him again is: knock it off,” he told reporters at a news conference in Montmagny, Que. “These tariffs are simply causing chaos in markets. They’re dislocating workers on both sides of the border. Stop threatening Canada with tariffs. Stop talking about our sovereignty. Our two countries have been two wonderful friends over centuries. It is better to build on that Canada-U.S. friendship as two separate and sovereign countries. And if the President does hit us with more tariffs, we will retaliate.”
With a report from Bill Curry