The Chinese government promised a 100 per cent levy on Canadian canola oil and meal, plus a 25 per cent duty on seafood and pork. Those tariffs on Canadian goods imported to China kick in on Thursday.
As the tariffs take effect, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe called on the federal government to remove its levies on electric vehicles amid fears that his province could face job losses and face the brunt of the blowback.
Moe pointedly called it “a Western Canadian expense at the benefit of a non-existent EV auto industry in Eastern Canada.”
Faced with calls to rethink the tariffs, Ford’s office said the premier continues to back the tax on Chinese-made vehicles.
If we keep China out, fine. There are certainly reasons enough. But that had better come with a real push for domestic EV manufacturing. ICE vehicle’s days are numbered outside pleasure/luxury use-cases, and it’s ridiculous to be importing the majority of such massive, heavy, and complex devices on which a majority of Canadians rely to at least some degree.
If things are going to be expensive either way, let me pay to support high-end Canadian jobs rather than cover shipping costs.