…
China’s ambassador to Canada, Wang Di, says the solution is simple: if Canada drops the EV tariff, China will remove its agricultural tariffs. But Canada may not need to go that far.
China cannot easily replace millions of tonnes of high-quality Canadian seed. Imports from India and Australia don’t match the volume or quality, and Chinese futures markets are already showing strain. If farmers can weather the chill, Canada may have more leverage than expected.
…
Canadians can’t ignore China’s human rights abuses, from the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang to the crackdown in Hong Kong. And trading dependence on Washington for reliance on Beijing is hardly a cure-all. Any deal must be negotiated from a position of strength, with safeguards to protect Canadian workers and sovereignty.
Which brings us back to canola. China needs it. We’re willing to sell it. But we don’t have to—nor should we—give away the farm.
He also writes:
The European Union offers another example. It keeps a 30 per cent tariff on Chinese EVs but exempts those made in EU factories. The result has been billions of dollars in Chinese investment, as automakers and battery firms build new plants and partnerships.
“Tariff barriers will push Chinese automakers to accelerate localized production,” said Fu Bingfeng, secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. “As of 2025, five Chinese automakers have announced plans to build factories in Europe, with total investment surpassing 20 billion euros ($36.2 billion). Once operational, these plants will help evade tariff costs and improve the supply chain.”
BYD, China’s largest EV maker, is building a factory in Hungary and planning another in Turkey. Major battery makers such as CATL have also invested heavily in Europe. These moves show how well-designed tariffs can attract jobs and technology instead of pushing trade away.
European automakers, rather than resisting, are cooperating with Chinese firms, saying the partnerships strengthen supply chains, improve electrification and support local research.
Canada lacks the EU’s market clout, but it could still serve as a North American toehold for Chinese automakers, especially as our domestic industry faces decline. The 1965 Auto Pact gave Canada guaranteed production shares and jobs in exchange for open access to the U.S. market, anchoring our auto industry for decades. But that arrangement has steadily eroded.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to shift all auto manufacturing to the United States is accelerating the trend. Stellantis has announced it will move Jeep production from Brampton, Ont., to Illinois, while Ford and GM are also scaling back in Canada. As the Detroit Three edge toward the exits, Canada needs new partners.
Emulating the EU approach, maintaining tariffs to guard against cheap, subsidized imports while encouraging investment and joint ventures, could help preserve jobs and bring capital to our auto industry. Partnerships of this kind could even breathe life into projects like Project Arrow, a Canadian-designed concept vehicle showcasing the country’s ability to build a zero-emissions car. A real partnership with Chinese automakers could turn that demonstration into production, making Canada more than just a branch plant economy.
The stakes are high. Canada’s auto sector still supports about 125,000 direct jobs, and losing more ground would further weaken our manufacturing base.
But hey, selectively edit however you want…
Australia also just had big canola purchases from China last month. They have both a market for their canola and they have access to nice, affordable Chinese EVs.
affordable Chinese EVs
A Trojan Horse of monumental scale. China’s long term goals is to run the world, they will use any opportunity they get to get economic control over other countries. Putting millions of vehicles on the road that can be disabled by the Chinese government every time we disagree is not a smart move.
And this isn’t just fearmongering about Chinese tech, all modern cars have cellular modems and can be disabled to some degree by the manufacture, but China has 100% control over big businesses. If they say no commuting in Canada tomorrow, it’ll happen.
The same could be said of american products… Oh wait they already are cough john Deerecough
The only reason there isn’t more outcry about John Deere is they have successfully painted farmers as the bad guy, trying to “steal” business away from the poor tractor corporation. Same goes for 3rd party repair techs performing “illegal” modifications to iPhones.
Australia also just had big canola purchases from China last month.
Did they? How much canola did they purchase from Australia last month? What quality did it have, especially when China bought it last month (September) from Australia?
I am truly looking forward to your answer here.
After following this whole back and forth IT REALLY DOESN’T FEEL LIKE YOU WANT THEIR ANSWER.
The purchases amount to around 540,000 tons, equivalent to about 8% of China’s total canola imports last year.
And? Almost all Chinese canola imports come from Canada, Australia hasn’t changed that apparently. Just read the article.
There is also some more wrong with your absurdly weird statement, but you contradict yourself with our own linked source. This is waste of time.
Read again. Almost all Chinese purchases of canola came from Canada last year, and Australia was locked out of the market then.
Now, China has purchased 8% of its typical demand from Australia. Even if they still buy a lot from Canada, it’s 540,000 tonnes less than what could have been coming from Canadian producers.
Last year was before the tariffs. September purchases are after the tariffs.
Australia’s market has grown, and they have access to more EVs. Canada’s market has shrunk, and we don’t have access to those EVs, all to please the US.
Do basic maths (and economics). Learn about the canola market (again, which quality did the September purchase have?). Why did China buy from Australia this time? (Spoiler: It has nothing to do with EVs).
I won’t engage in further discussions if you continue to spam around with pro-China propaganda while making statements that wildly inaccurate.
Addition: I forgot to mention that you continue your propaganda spam in a Trumpean I-am-right-and-everyone-else-is-wrong attitude, something that doesn’t help if you want to engage in a fruitful discussion.
Lol, “spamming around with propaganda” from an account with 141 posts in two months to servers of numerous countries on different continents with posts just driving the same consistent narrative everywhere you can.
I barely have as many comments in six months as you have posts in two, but I’m pushing propaganda? Sure, Scotty.
Don’t engage further. Fine by me. I see you as a sock puppet account and little else.
Ah I see you came to the same conclusion as me. 🤭
It’s one of the three accounts that constantly spam anti-China propaganda crossposted everywhere so not surprising. No good faith engagement whatsoever. Might even be the same person behind the three since the posts have a very similar format and they show up in threads where someone engages in argument. It’s super annoying shit.
The three I’ve noticed are Scotty, randomname, and Hotznplotzn. Same for you, or have you noticed others?
Those are the ones I’ve noticed too.
