CANADA IMPOSES A 100% TARIFF ON IMPORTS OF CHINESE-MADE ELECTRIC VEHICLES, MATCHING THE US

Trudeau said Canada also will impose a 25% tariff on Chinese steel and aluminum “Actors like China have chosen to give themselves an unfair advantage in the global marketplace,” he said.

There was no immediate response from China.

The only Chinese-made EVs currently imported into Canada are from Tesla, made at the company’s Shanghai factory, though the U.S. company could avoid the tariff by switching to supplying Canada from factories in the U.S. or Germany.

Chinese brands are not yet a player in Canada. However, Chinese EV giant BYD established a Canadian corporate entity last spring and has indicated it intends to try and enter the Canadian market as early as next year.

Chinese officials are likely to raise concerns about the American tariffs with Sullivan as Beijing continues to repair its economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. President Joe Biden in May slapped major new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advanced batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment.