Canada Unveils Auto Industry Plan in Latest Pivot Away From US
15 303Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a sweeping plan to shore up the country's auto industry and accelerate its electric vehicle transition, the latest in a series of moves to reduce Canada's deep economic dependence on the United States as American tariffs continue to batter the sector.
The plan includes financial incentives for carmakers to invest in Canada, a new tariff credit scheme for manufacturers like General Motors and Toyota, and the reintroduction of EV buyer rebates. Canada will also enact stricter vehicle emissions standards and has set a goal of EVs comprising 90% of car sales by 2040. Carney at the same time scrapped a 2023 EV sales mandate introduced by former PM Justin Trudeau that automakers had called too costly.
The announcements follow a deal last month with China to ease tariffs on Chinese EVs and an agreement with South Korea to encourage Korean car manufacturing in Canada. Roughly 90% of Canadian-made vehicles are exported to the US, and thousands of auto workers have lost their jobs since Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian cars and parts last year.
15 comments
Re:From coast to coast. (Score: 5, Interesting)
by froggyjojodaddy ( 5025059 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @08:03AM (#65972378)
I get the high cost of expanding into the great wilderness for housing etc. but the fact everyone is jammed in so tight into cities is crazy considering just how much land mass there is. You only have to drive 20 minutes out of the Toronto core to realize there actually is a bunch of space but they're still cramming people into 600 ft apartments in Toronto and making them pay $700/month in condo fees and $2,500 in rent for the privilege.
Even the drive from London to Windsor is more reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic barren wasteland than a 1st world country. There are definitely farms which should be protected but there's also SO much crown land that no person has set foot upon that could be better used to build houses for people
Re:From coast to coast. (Score: 5, Insightful)
by MightyMartian ( 840721 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @09:16AM (#65972570)
Sprawl is incredibly expensive to service. Suburbs are probably the most inefficient way to deal with housing ever invented, between having to deliver utilities, expand fire protection and policing, and just plain road maintenance, there's a reason that we should eschew suburbs and sprawl in favor of density.
Re:From coast to coast. (Score: 5, Insightful)
by Dr_Terminus ( 1222504 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @10:24AM (#65972784)
Tell that to the people in Norway where EV adoption is through the roof...
Re:From coast to coast. (Score: 5, Insightful)
by Sique ( 173459 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @08:01AM (#65972374)
Norway has the same "large country" problem as Canada, and they are 96% EV. You can generate electricity everywhere. But you can't refine oil into gasoline everywhere.
And no, don't tell me that Canada is much larger. That's not the "large country" problem. The large country problem means: if you are driving more than a day in the same direction, do you pass enough infrastructure for your mode of transport? And that's as valid for Norway as it is for Canada.
Only the first step (Score: 5, Interesting)
by gtall ( 79522 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @07:39AM (#65972308)
There is a news story, probably NYT or Politico or BBC (I cannot recall where exactly) that the rejection of the U.S. from Canada is catching on with the rest of the world. There are apps in Europe that will tell you whether some company builds stuff with U.S. parts. Way to go, el Bunko. Are you tired of (*^(&^% winning yet?
Re:Only the first step (Score: 5, Insightful)
by jenningsthecat ( 1525947 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @04:33PM (#65973596)
There is a news story, probably NYT or Politico or BBC (I cannot recall where exactly) that the rejection of the U.S. from Canada is catching on with the rest of the world. There are apps in Europe that will tell you whether some company builds stuff with U.S. parts. Way to go, el Bunko. Are you tired of (*^(&^% winning yet?
Because you're pointing out that a large part of the world is distancing themselves from the US - and they may or may not be following our lead - this seems like a good place to address something TFS says: "... reduce Canada's deep economic dependence on the United States as American tariffs continue to batter the sector".
What I want Americans to understand - and a surprising number don't get this - is that the majority of Canadians' rejection of the US isn't about the tariffs.
We Canadians are sick and tired of US media saying - and US citizens believing - that our unwillingness to buy US goods and visit the US is because of tariffs and exchange rates. Sure, those things reduce tourist traffic and purchases of American goods a bit, simply because of household budgets. But the BIG push-back - product boycotts and a huge reduction in tourist travel to the US - is because of the Orange Shitgibbon making 51st state threats, calling our Prime Minister "Governor", and turning ICE into an openly violent, irrational, unhinged threat to human life.
Sure, for economic reasons it's necessary for Canada to change its plans, forge new allegiances, and strive for a future in which the US plays a rapidly declining role in our economy. But the umbrage and fear we feel are all about threats and disrespect. And I dare say that the same evaluation we Canadians have made applies to a multitude of other countries. That's the main reason for us all finding new trade and cultural partners and turning our backs on the States.
This is a case where, to a large extent, "it's NOT the economy, stupid"! Under Trump, America has already effected regime change in Venezuela, bombed a bunch of innocent fishermen, murdered innocent US citizens publicly and unapologetically, shipped innocent people to concentration camps, threatened other countries, and on and on and on and on.
The terms "friend", "reliable partner", "safe tourist destination", etc, no longer apply to America. Given that, trade and tariff issues are a mere blip. The big factor is America's transition - in the space of a single year - from free and fair country into full-on Fascist dictatorship. Yes, the roots of the descent go back at least decades; but this past 12 months has seen the country fall under the sway of a dangerous toddler tyrant.
This toothpaste isn't going back into the tube. The old way of doing things has been torn down and burned, and its ashes have been pissed on. This isn't a blip, nor an "Oops! My bad". This is one of those historic moments when the world changed.
Re:Only the first step (Score: 5, Informative)
by MightyMartian ( 840721 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @09:23AM (#65972608)
Jesus you fucking Trumpers are a pack of idiots. Christ almighty, we actually have an economist running the country, you have a fucking moron knee deep in dementia, who was a raving idiot even when he wasn't rotting.
Re:Only the first step (Score: 5, Informative)
by Vegan Cyclist ( 1650427 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @10:45AM (#65972858)
Don't forget the Tariff of Nottingham also shit his pants on live TV.
Big man, strong man, smelly man that had to end a press session early.
Imagine if Biden shit his pants on live TV like that.
He didn't, but I'm happy to talk about how Trump did.
Re:Only the first step (Score: 5, Insightful)
by coopertempleclause ( 7262286 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @08:24AM (#65972460)
Imagine buying from a country whose leader doesn't believe in democracy, oversees vast human rights abuses and has people who oppose him shot in the streets....then there's China too.
Pivot away from US ? (Score: 5, Insightful)
by 4im ( 181450 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @08:15AM (#65972414)
No, it is clearly the US that are shutting the doors. Very obviously, the Trump administration wants to go it alone - either others accept extortionous terms (why should they?) or nothing. Forget a fair deal. Ok, then don't be surprised if the rest of the world gives the US the middle finger. All the US has going for themselves is momentum, and that's quickly drying up. Trust is long gone, good luck to get it back within our lifetimes.
Excellent job agent Krasnov is doing for his master.
It's USMCA renewal time (Score: 5, Insightful)
by RobinH ( 124750 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @10:25AM (#65972788)
Sorry to throw some cold water on all the emotional comments in this story, but just remember that the North American trade agreement (USMCA/CUSMA) is up for renewal this year, and it's standard practice before any negotiation for both sides to try to position themselves on more stable footing. When you want to negotiate, you need to go into it with a list of things you can negotiate away in order to get what you want. Every (smart) negotiating team from every country does this. Canada has been making small but significant agreements with other countries both as a hedge against the US going its own way, and also so that it has something to offer the US in exchange for a continued USMCA agreement. "Sure, we'll buy the F-35's and put more barriers in place for Chinese EVs if you agree to re-approve CUSMA for 4 years." And if the US decides to walk away, then Canada still has some other trading options it can fall back on. It's just a pragmatic thing to do.
Re:It's USMCA renewal time (Score: 5, Interesting)
by tlhIngan ( 30335 ) on <slashdot&worf,net> on Friday February 06, 2026 @02:34PM (#65973362)
And yet, China has solved a lot of it. It's time to realize that China has superior EV technology - they made investments in the field. Granted, it hasn't come easy - and I'm sure a lot of the technology came through questionable means initially.
But the situation remains - China has got it figured out, and Europe has shown some of those Chinese EVs are well, actually decent vehicles. The cheapest aren't particularly notable for anything - they are just econoboxes in the end, but they're cheap, the build quality is solid (unlike say, Tesla), and they're so cheap, they ditched all the connected car features because that costs money. Instead you're forced to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for infotainment.
The Big 3 legacy automakers ditched the market because they found making big vehicles had big profits and spent the past 30 years convincing people they needed bigger cars. That's why they are so scared of Chinese EVs because they're filling a market niche the Big 3 abandoned. Only imports fill the cheaper vehicle space and the Big 3 only survive due to people saying "we only drive Ford" or the like.
China has cold weather as well, and Norway is pretty cold too. Yet EVs are popular there, so I'm pretty sure the cold weather issues have been cracked.
The only big issue would be towing, and that's because it's a physics problem
Re:Canada cannot afford this (Score: 5, Insightful)
by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @08:28AM (#65972470)
Obama would have been impeached in 10 minutes had he told all the honkys to chill out.
Re: Mmhmmm (Score: 5, Insightful)
by i_ate_god ( 899684 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @08:23AM (#65972452)
The Norwegians did
Re:Sounds like a plan alright (Score: 5, Insightful)
by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Friday February 06, 2026 @08:30AM (#65972478)
Suddenly competition in the market is bad. How odd.