(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his trade and industry ministers said Canada is exploring the possibility of increasing tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China, following a massive hike in taxes by the Americans at the beginning of the month.
Chinese brands are not a major player in the Canadian electric vehicle market, but imports from China have exploded over the past year as Tesla stopped relying on its U.S. factories for sales in Canada , turning to its Shanghai manufacturing plant.
In 2022, Canada’s trade data shows that electric vehicle imports from China alone totaled 84 million, and in 2023, they climbed to 2.2 billion.
President Joe Biden quadrupled import taxes on Chinese-made electric vehicles to 100% this year, due to what he called unfair subsidies from the Chinese government to Chinese vehicle makers. electrical.
Last fall, the European Commission launched a study into China’s unfair trade practices, as the market share of Chinese-made electric vehicles rapidly increased in Europe.
Currently, Chinese electric vehicle brands are not available for sale in Canada, but Chinese automakers are eyeing the North American market.