During a January visit to Beijing, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a sharp cut to tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, opening the door to 49,000 imports a year and sparking a debate over trade, security and Canada’s auto future.
Brian Kingston, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, argues the decision risks Canada’s most important trade relationship and undermines domestic manufacturing. Heather Exner-Pirot, senior fellow and director of energy, natural resources and environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, counters that the tradeoff is justified to diversify export markets and support Canada’s agricultural and oil and gas sectors.
