With the imposition of a 25% tariff on all vehicles manufactured outside of the United States President Donald Trump has escalated his unjust assault on the Canadian economy and autoworkers.
“Donald Trump has convinced himself that, somehow, the jobs of Canadian autoworkers are his to claim,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We have built cars here for over a century, long before the U.S. was our primary trade partner. I will state this as clearly and unequivocally as I can. These are not his jobs to take.”
Trump has included Canada in the U.S. auto tariff, despite having the most highly integrated and tightly woven supply chain between any two countries in the world; and a trade relationship that is in near-perfect balance.
“President Trump fails to understand the chaos and damage this tariff will inflict on workers and consumers in both Canada and the United States,” added Payne.
The new auto tariff is scheduled to take effect on April 2, the same date that Trump will announce as yet unspecified reciprocal tariffs against U.S. international trade partners. According to reports, auto tariffs will be applied to the value of all non-U.S. content in finished vehicles, a move that entirely violates the terms of the CUSMA as well as automotive-specific side letters to the deal.
Earlier this month, the U.S. implemented a 25% tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum imported to the United States. An additional 25% tariff on Canadian goods and 10% tariff on energy and potash imported to the U.S. is also currently on pause, if those goods comply with CUSMA. Trump has also threatened future tariffs on lumber, pharmaceuticals, microchips, copper and other goods.
“It’s attack followed by attack followed by attack,” said Payne. “We cannot expect our trade relationship with the U.S. to ever go back to the way it was so we must forge a new economy that creates and supports Canadian jobs.”
