Canada will impose new tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs), aluminum and steel, lining up behind Western allies and taking steps to protect domestic manufacturers.
The government announced a 100 percent levy on electric cars and 25 percent on steel and aluminum, confirming an earlier report from Bloomberg News.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled the policy in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he’s gathered with the rest of his cabinet for a series of meetings about the economy and foreign relations.
Photo: Dean Casavechia, Bloomberg
The surtax on EVs will take effect on Oct. 1 and will also include certain hybrid passenger automobiles, trucks, buses and delivery vans. It will be added to an existing 6.1 percent tariff that applies to Chinese EVs, the government said in a news release.
The levies on aluminum and steel will come into place on Oct. 15. The government released an initial list of goods yesterday and the public will have a chance to comment before it is finalized on Oct. 1.
Trudeau’s government is also launching a new 30-day consultation on other sectors, including batteries and battery parts, semiconductors, solar products and critical minerals.
“We are transforming Canada’s automotive sector to be a global leader in building the vehicles of tomorrow,” Trudeau told reporters in Halifax. “But actors like China have chosen to give themselves an unfair advantage in the global marketplace, compromising the security of our critical industries and displacing dedicated Canadian autos and metal workers.”
Canada, an export-driven economy that relies heavily on trade with the US, has been closely watching moves by US President Joe Biden’s administration to erect a much higher tariff wall against Chinese EVs, batteries, solar cells, steel and other products. Canada’s auto sector is heavily integrated with that of its closest neighbor: The vast majority of its light vehicle production — which was 1.5 million units last year — is exported to the US.
The government also announced yesterdau that it will limit eligibility for EV incentives to products made in countries that have negotiated free-trade agreements with Canada.
It will review the new levies within a year of them coming into effect.
The European Union has also announced proposed new tariffs on EVs important from China, though at lower levels than the US and now Canada are proposing.
Products made by SAIC Motor Corp (上海汽車) face additional duties of 36.3 percent, while Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd (吉利汽車) and BYD Co (比亞迪) each face tariffs of 19.3 percent and 17 percent, respectively, according to a draft decision released last week. Tesla Inc will see an extra 9 percent charge on Chinese-made vehicles.
China has retaliated against Canada before. It previously restricted imports of Canadian canola seed for three years — a move seen as retribution for a decision by Canada authorities to arrest Huawei Technologies Co (華為) executive Meng Wanzhou (孟晚舟) in Vancouver on a US extradition warrant. Meng returned to China in 2021.
The value of Chinese EVs imported by Canada surged to C$2.2 billion (US$1.6 billion) last year, from less than C$100 million in 2022, according to data from Statistics Canada. The number of cars arriving from China at the port of Vancouver jumped after Tesla started shipping Model Y vehicles there from its Shanghai factory.
However, the Canadian government’s main concern isn’t Tesla, but the prospect of cheap cars made by Chinese automakers eventually becoming available. BYD informed the Canadian government last month that it intends to lobby lawmakers and officials about its plans to enter the country.
Trudeau also faced political and industry pressure. The Canadian auto sector had been pushing him to hike tariffs to protect domestic jobs and wages, arguing that China’s EVs are cheaper due to much weaker labor standards. The government has also bet big on automakers and manufacturers from democratic allies: the government has agreed to multibillion-dollar subsidies for electric vehicle plants or battery factories for Stellantis NV, Volkswagen AG and Honda Motor Co, among others.
Steel and aluminum producers in Canada have also publicly and repeatedly urged the government to restrict China’s access, saying that Beijing’s industrial policy allows the Asian powerhouse to unfairly flood foreign markets, putting local jobs at risk.
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