Canada wants to look at joint ventures and investments with Chinese companies within the next three years to build a Canadian electric vehicle with Chinese knowledge, according to a senior Canadian official.
The official, who spoke on the condition they not be named, said the goal is for Canada to become the first country in North America to build this type of EV.
It’s a fundamental error, the official said, to think that U.S. President Donald Trump will not allow Chinese electric vehicles into the United States.
The official also said that Canada kept the Trump administration in the loop and gave it advance warning of its decision on Friday to allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs into the Canadian market each year at a 6.1 per cent tariff — down from a 100 per cent tariff imposed in 2024.
8 Comments
Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org · 0 pts · 211d
It this is Canada's goal, a collaboration with China is the wrong decision. Chinese carmakers may built cars in Canada, but they will bring their own (Chinese migrant) workforce, and all parts will be delivered by Chinese suppliers. The entire supply chain is a closed shop.
The workers in these companies are subject to devastating conditions, one more recent example that made it to public awareness was Chinese carmaker's BYD factory in Brazil. In May 2025, Brazilian prosecutors were suing Chinese electric vehicle company BYD and two of its contractors, saying they were responsible for human trafficking and conditions "analogous to slavery":
[Edit to correct typo.]
prodigalsorcerer@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 211d
Presumably the politicians accounted for this in their negotiations. They may have some high level engineers from China, but I can't imagine they'll be allowed to bring in a whole migrant workforce, especially with the current climate around immigration in Canada.
Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org · -3 pts · 211d
China is doing that everywhere, and it has nothing to do with the host country's 'climate around immigration.' Incoming migrant workers are usually accommodated in separate building near the industrial sites, and they likely have little contact with the local population as it's the case in Hungary, for example (or in Brazil, just read the linked article above).
Just last summer, Chinese migrant workers have blocked the entrance to BYD's factory in Hungary over workers' rights violations, and the local Hungarian population protested against the BYD plant over environmental concerns. Both with little success, Hungary PM Orbán is a fan of China ... (you'll find ample evidence for this across the web).
There might be a few Canadian managers that will act as a 'face' to the Canadian public, but the majority of workers come from China. And so will the the suppliers as the entire Chinese supply chain is a closed shop.
eestileib@lemmy.blahaj.zone · -19 pts · 212d
Please colonize me CCP daddy.
(Ain't judging, Canada's last boyfriend is face down in the gutter hugging a woman who looks like a blow up doll, you gotta dance with someone if you got no nukes)
RaskolnikovsAxe@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 211d
Explain how Canada having nukes would improve her economic position.
eestileib@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 0 pts · 211d
It would certainly reduce the amount of coercion the us can casually use against Canada in negotiations.
"We might just abduct Carney"/"we'll airstrike Toronto why not?"/"we'll send little green men into Alberta" is a very real thing Canada is currently facing.
Countries with nukes don't have to worry about that stuff as much.
RaskolnikovsAxe@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 211d
That's not economic action that's military action. I'm not suggesting one doesn't drive the other, but having nuclear weapons doesn't meaningfully change economic strategy. It affects military strategy.
There are economic nuclear weapons though. Canada has quite a few aimed directly at the US (potash, oil, aluminum, nickel, US assets in Canada, IP / patents particularly pharmaceutical, hydroelectric power, TBonds and US dollar reserves).
Lineman@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 212d
Pretty funny considering the role Canadian company Manga has played designing and ghost kitchen building EV's for Chinese companies in China. Want an EV company of your own. Call Magna.