Experts Say Imposing a 100 Percent Tariff on China-Made EVs Will Equalize the Playing Field for Canada’s EV Sector

August 26, 2024 TruthUSA

Ottawa is cracking down on Chinese-made electric vehicle imports to Canada with the imposition of a 100 percent tariff as of Oct. 1, a move that will help level the EV pricing field for all producers, experts say.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the new tariff on Aug. 26, saying it will address China’s “unfair advantage” in the EV sector. The tariff will apply to electric buses, cars, delivery vans, and certain hybrid vehicles. A 25 percent tariff will also be put on China-made imports of steel and aluminum products starting Oct. 15.

Global Automakers of Canada president and CEO David Adams described the new EV tariff as a “pre-emptive measure” to ensure equal opportunity across Canada’s EV marketplace.

“At this point the number of Chinese EVs entering the country is relatively small but has grown significantly,” he told The Epoch Times. “This measure will give Canada more time to continue to build out its own EV ecosystem which the private sector and the government have invested in significantly as the industry transitions away from ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles towards electrified propulsion.”

EV Pricing

The lion’s share of Chinese-made EVs currently being imported into Canada probably wouldn’t be recognized by most Canadians as being from China, Adams said.

“Principally, they are Teslas built in China,” he said.

Tesla’s vehicles are manufactured in the company’s Shanghai factory before being shipped to North America. They then enter Canada through the U.S.