Canada slaps 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles

OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday (Aug 26) 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese electric car imports, matching United States measures seeking to fend off a flood of Chinese state-subsidised cars into North America.
Accusing China – one of the world’s largest exporters of electric vehicles (EVs) – of “not playing by the same rules as other countries” in areas such as environmental and labour standards, he also unveiled a 25 per cent surtax on imports of steel and aluminum products from China.
The US and the European Union in recent months imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs of 100 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively.
Canada’s auto manufacturing industry employs over 125,000 people. Ottawa has poured billions of dollars into supporting its transition to EVs and firming up a domestic electric battery supply line.
At a news conference in Halifax on Canada’s Atlantic coast, Trudeau said Chinese EV overproduction and hefty state subsidies for its auto sector “requires us to take action”.
“Unless we want to get in a race to the bottom, we have to stand up, and that’s what we’re doing,” he said. In a statement, the government called the tariffs a response to “this extraordinary threat”.
The EV surtax, on top of existing import duties of 6.1 per cent, will be imposed starting Oct 1 on Chinese electric and certain hybrid passenger automobiles, trucks, buses and delivery vans.
Additionally, Ottawa will limit eligibility for EV incentives to those made in countries with which Canada has free trade deals, which would exclude China.
Its surtax on imports of steel and aluminum products from China will be effective Oct 15.