Ontario Premier Doug Ford isn’t mincing words about Canada’s new electric vehicle deal with China, saying Friday that Chinese manufacturers are gaining a foothold in the country’s auto market at the expense of workers in this country.

“The federal government is inviting a flood of cheap made-in-China electric vehicles without any real guarantee of equal or immediate investments in Canada’s economy, auto sector or supply chain,” Ford said in a statement issued shortly after news of the deal broke.

“Worse, by lowering tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles this lopsided deal risks closing the door on Canadian automakers to the American market, our largest export destination, which would hurt our economy and lead to job losses.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reached an agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, in a move that marks a major shift in the relationship between the two countries.

  • Swordgeek@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    9
    ·
    2 days ago

    Doug Ford says as much bullshit as Trump or Smith. Right now he’s lining up for a run at the CPC leadership, so blathers on about national unity, while believing none of iy.

    Ford is a grifter, a drug dealer, and a conservative in the WORST way. Don’t listen to him.

  • panda_abyss@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    53
    ·
    3 days ago

    Basically all our car companies are American and abandoning EVs to make Trump happy. They’re also leaving and fucking is over.

    What’s there to protect?

    • lemonySplit@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      7 hours ago

      100% they are leaving no matter what. Why not kick them out, nationalize the factories and start making affordable daily driver EVs in Canada?

    • imrighthere@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      22
      ·
      3 days ago

      ford is looking to protect his own pocket, he doesn’t give a fuck about anything or anyone else.

    • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      3 days ago

      The infrastructure and contractors in Canada aren’t going anywhere, and the know-how might not think going south looks too hot.

  • BurgerBaron@piefed.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    21
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 days ago

    China EV capped at 3% of the total market in return Canola tariff drops from 100% to 15%…

    Doug, shut the fuck up.

  • i_stole_ur_taco@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    30
    ·
    3 days ago

    Ontario’s economy is heavily reliant on their auto industry that’s pretty tightly coupled to the US. I get why Ford needs to make statements like this. There’s a huge risk of disruption letting Chinese EVs into Canada.

    On the flip side, coupling our industry to a burgeoning fascist state that has shown little interest in respecting treaties, trade agreements, and Canada is a stupider and stupider arrangement as every day passes.

    So, great, Doug, you’re speaking up for your constituents. It’s just that decades of ghoulish decisions have put Ontario in that position, and something has to give. Being at the whim of Detroit corporations is no way forward.

    • masterofn001@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      3 days ago

      Imagine what could have been had Doug and the gang not canceled all the green projects and diversified our economy. But yay! we’re gonna get tunnels under cars to drive more cars so,we can make more cars to get to work to make more cars.

    • Nik282000@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      10
      ·
      3 days ago

      coupling our industry to a burgeoning fascist state

      So instead, we choose to buy from an established dictatorship?

      • FaceDeer@fedia.io
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        23
        ·
        3 days ago

        An established dictatorship that you can actually make a deal with and expect it to be respected, and that isn’t currently threatening to annex us with military force.

      • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        12
        ·
        3 days ago

        Better two assholes we can play off of each other than just one. Mongolia has made it work, somehow.

        And of course as much trade and ties with Europe as possible.

  • assaultpotato@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    22
    ·
    3 days ago

    We should absolutely be divesting from any industry that requires US cooperation to be profitable. Not only that, but US automakers have stagnated, resting on their laurels and refusing to innovate thanks to deep protectionist schemes. Time to retool our steel and aluminum refining and manufacturing industries to make something that’s not poorly designed and built cars.

  • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    15
    ·
    3 days ago

    He could put more resources into making it attractive for manufacturers already in Ontario to transition to making affordable EVs (rather than the very few existing expensive and heavily optioned ones that are currently available)

  • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    3 days ago

    Basically Carney had to choose between Moe and Ford in this issue, there was no pleasing everybody here.

    • skozzii@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      3 days ago

      Carney needs the votes in Saskatchewan more than the votes in Ontario. Plus it just happens to be the best thing for the country.

      • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.worksOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        3 days ago

        Some of it is due to premiers safeguarding their own little fiefdoms. Heaven forbid they should work together for all of Canada. 🙄

        • FaceDeer@fedia.io
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          3 days ago

          It’s what representative democracy is about. It would be nice if they’d recognize a little more that their personal fiefdoms would be forfeit if the US annexed us, though.

  • TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    13
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 days ago

    To his point, my friend excitedly messaged me about this wondering how hard it would be to import a cheap BYD electric car from Canada to the USA…

    But also yes PLEASE flood the market with cheap electric cars