Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday Canada will impose punitive tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles — copying a similar initiative that the U.S. is already pursuing to stop a flood of what’s been described as unfairly state-subsidized cars.
Trudeau made the announcement at the federal cabinet retreat in Halifax where ministers are meeting to craft a strategy for the year ahead — the last year before an expected federal election in October 2025. Trudeau and his cabinet heard from Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security advisor, late Sunday during a surprise stopover before his trip to China.
Amid industry pressure to copy the U.S. program, Trudeau said a 100 per cent surtax will be levied on all Chinese-made EVs, effective Oct. 1.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will impose a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles, a move that comes after the U.S. announced a similar initiative.
Ottawa is following through now, Trudeau said, to “level the playing field for Canadian workers” and allow Canada’s nascent EV industry to compete at home, in North America and globally.
The tariff will apply to electric and certain hybrid passenger automobiles, trucks, buses and delivery vans.
Separately, Trudeau also announced Monday the federal government will apply a 25 per cent surtax on imports of steel and aluminum products from China, effective Oct. 15, 2024.
More to come