Toronto, Ontario -- Ontario Premier Doug Ford (pictured left) is resisting calls from the premiers of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to ask the Federal Government to drop Canada’s 100 percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, saying the measure is vital for protecting Ontario auto jobs.
“There’s no damn way we should drop the tariffs on China. Absolutely not,” Ford said Tuesday during a fireside chat in Toronto, emphasizing the importance of the policy for Ontario’s manufacturing sector.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe (centre) and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew (right) have lobbied Ottawa to reconsider the tariff after China indicated it might lift retaliatory duties on Canadian canola and pork if Canada rescinds the measure.
China introduced a nearly 76 per cent tariff on Canadian canola seed following Canada’s EV tariff in October 2024, cutting off a key export market for prairie farmers.
Moe has criticized the EV tariff as protecting a “non-existent” industry in Ontario at the expense of western agriculture.
Kinew added that the policy puts prairie farmers in an unfair position, arguing that revoking the tariff could restore crucial export access.
Ford countered that ongoing investments from automakers including Honda, Volkswagen, and Stellantis demonstrate the sector is growing, creating jobs and attracting spin-off industries. He said maintaining the tariff is part of a broader plan to bolster domestic EV production.
Federal officials have not indicated whether they plan to change the tariff, leaving western premiers pressing Ottawa to balance agricultural concerns with the government’s industrial policy objectives.
