Premier Doug Ford once again slammed Prime Minister Mark Carney’s EV deal with China Monday, saying it won’t bring any jobs to Canada and was made without consulting him.
“I’m extremely, I say extremely, disappointed by this decision, which will directly impact our auto workers and the supply chains that support them, including many rural areas,” Ford said during an address to the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Monday.
He said despite Carney’s claim that the deal represents an “opportunity for Ontario,” that will not be the case.
“Folks, you hear there’s jobs coming, there’s no jobs coming. I can assure you, you can remember this,” Ford said.
He also revealed that he found out about the deal just hours before it was announced publicly.
“I found out about this deal, and the auto companies found out, by the way, a few hours before it was announced,” Ford said. “So much for the partnership.”
Carney announced a trade deal with China last week that will see Beijing ease its tariffs on some Canadian canola, seafood and vegetable products in exchange for allowing up to 49,000 Chinese EVs into Canada per year at a 6.1 per cent tariff.
Carney said the number amounts to just three per cent of the Canadian auto market.
However Ford said Monday that figure would account for close to 33 per cent of electric vehicle sales in Canada.
“It’s just a terrible deal,” Ford said.
Ford said he has been touch with several federal officials, but Carney has not reached out to him directly, despite having his number.
“I just want more communication, as anyone would,” Ford told reporters. “This isn’t about pitting one province against the other. It’s not pitting one sector versus the other. I’m happy as punch for my colleagues out west when it comes to canola oil, or our friends in the east about the fisheries. God bless them. That’s great, but don’t use Ontario and the auto workers here as a (pawn).”
“Everyone got something except Ontario. All we got is a massive threat of Chinese vehicles that are coming here that are going to hurt every single auto sector worker.”
Federal officials have suggested that China could bring the manufacturing of some vehicles to Canada, benefiting local workers.
“China will never, ever – this will go on record – open up a manufacturing facility (here),” Ford said Monday.
He said that in order for an auto plant in Ontario to be profitable, it needs to ship most of its vehicles to the United States.
“I don’t believe that President Trump will accept any vehicles from China being manufactured here. So to say that we’re going to bring assembly here from China is just not accurate whatsoever,” Ford said.
The U.S. currently maintains a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles, a move Canada had matched until Carney’s recent deal.
Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector union, also released a statement last week slamming Carney’s deal, saying it will cost Canadian jobs.
