[Mihairokov]

So, to loop back around to Stellantis, why are we blocking Chinese EVs from entering the market if US automakers are eager to leave at the drop of a hat?

Elsewhere, the UK has become BYD's largest foreign market, with yearly sales up over 800%

BYD: Chinese EV giant sees UK sales soar by 880%

The Shenzhen-based electric car maker says the UK is now its biggest market outside China.

www.bbc.com

 

[Admiral Beez]

So, to loop back around to Stellantis, why are we blocking Chinese EVs from entering the market if US automakers are eager to leave at the drop of a hat?

Because we're working with a big baby in the White House. If we allow Chinese EVs, Orange Man will see it as a personal slight, have a tantrum and put a 100% tariff all Canadian trade.

We have to tread carefully for the next 1,192 days, even if we have to resist striking out.

https://days.to/until/us-presidential-inauguration

 

[Mihairokov]

Because we're working with a big baby in the White House. If we allow Chinese EVs, Orange Man will see it as a personal slight, have a tantrum and put a 100% tariff all Canadian trade.

And then he'll forget all about it because the next day ends in 'y' and move on to something else to distract from the Epstein files. He could just as easily do the same thing without any sort of action on our end. Why bend over backwards? The result is always going to be the same.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

 

[guavadelic]

Because we're working with a big baby in the White House. If we allow Chinese EVs, Orange Man will see it as a personal slight, have a tantrum and put a 100% tariff all Canadian trade.

We have to tread carefully for the next 1,192 days, even if we have to resist striking out.

https://days.to/until/us-presidential-inauguration

Our economy is already getting tariffed to death. Softwood lumber, steel, aluminum, Auto products...being in lockstep with them hasn't bought us any goodwill.

We should have a more nuanced approach, similar to Europe (45% tariffs), or even Mexico's approach (raising to 50%).
Even our vehicle safety standards are in lockstep with the U.S., depriving Canadians of being able to purchase European made cars. Mexico differs again here, accepting European vehicle safety standards.

A lot of things in Canada need a re-think after the past year of U.S. threats.

 

[afransen]

That’s pain on Canadians, not Americans. Tariffs are a tax increase on Canadians. Any PM campaigning on tax increases won’t be popular. And we can’t bring Teslas in from China unless we cancel the 100% tariffs on Chinese made EVs.

And besides, our beef should be with the Dutch, since they own Stellantis, and this decision ultimately came out of Amsterdam.

The reality is that the burden of tariffs usually falls on both the buyer and seller to some degree. Exporters will accept lower prices until they can find new markets or scale down production.

 

[EBT]

Because we're working with a big baby in the White House. If we allow Chinese EVs, Orange Man will see it as a personal slight, have a tantrum and put a 100% tariff all Canadian trade.

We have to tread carefully for the next 1,192 days, even if we have to resist striking out.

https://days.to/until/us-presidential-inauguration

Canada doesn't have 1,192 days to wait out Trump. Canada's economy is bleeding out, and Carney has done NOTHING to stem the hemorrhaging. The timid approach applied so far of trying not to upset the temperamental malignant narcissist Trump has not worked out. Trump is a bully. Bullies can smell fear, and it didn't take Trump long to size-up Carney as being a bigger push-over/coward than even Justin Trudeau. Our "fearless leaders" should have stood up to Trump from the beginning. It feels like it is almost too late now. It has long been obvious that Trump wants to poach all auto jobs from Canada (ultimately ALL manufacturing jobs). Trump cannot poach auto jobs from Mexico where GM pays its Mexican workers at its Silao plant—where Silverado's are assembled—between $3 and $7 USD per hour (how do these wages compare to GM Oshawa where the SAME TRUCK is assembled?). Notice you never hear Trump gripe about all the auto jobs lost to Mexico?

Why has it been impossible for Carney to say to Trump's face the obvious; that if Trump makes it impossible for Canada to sell cars to the United States that Canadians will not be buying ANY American-made cars. NONE! That Canadians will be buying cars from China (which are better than any American car), Japan, Korea and Europe. Why is Carney afraid to tell Trump that trade is a two-way street not a zero-sum game.

Canada is the largest export market for American-made cars. Almost $60 billion worth of cars and car parts are shipped from the US to Canada (2024 figures). The United States has a $7 billion SURPLUS in the trade of cars with Canada. Given these facts how did we find ourselves in our current situation where our most important manufacturing industry is about to be pulled out from underneath us?

The time has come for Canada to play hardball. We should start with lifting the 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs. I would drop the tariff to 10% which is the current tariff on Chinese ICE vehicles. No doubt such action would cause Trump to retaliate he might even put 100% tariffs on us but so what! that is when we can get serious about inflicting REAL PAIN on the Americans. I would start by putting 100% tariffs on all cars assembled in the US by brands that do not currently produce cars in Canada. That would mean 100% tariffs on:

BMW SUVs (SC)
Mercedes SUVs (AL)
KIA (GA)
Nissan (TN)
Lucid (AZ)
MAZDA (AL)
Volvo (SC)
Subaru (IN)
Tesla (CA) (TX)

None of the above brands build anything in Canada and I suspect if they contain Canadian parts the amount is negligible. We should tell these car makers that if they want to sell in Canada they need to build here or source vehicles from factories other than those in the United States. Notice most of these car plants are in red states?

Next, I would slap 100% EXPORT tariffs on commodities the American have to buy from Canada. At the top of the list is potash. Imagine the reaction of American farmers if we put 100% tariffs on potash? They can't grow anything without Canadian potash. Where are they going to buy it from? Russia? Belarus?

There are many other things that Carney could have used for leverage but is too cowardice to do.

• Put on HOLD ALL orders for American military equipment including the F-35 and Boeing P-8 Poseiden.
• Threaten to reinstate the Digital Services Tax if Trump doesn't drop all tariffs on Canada. Why did Carney just give that away?
• Tell Trump that Canada has ZERO interest in joining his "Golden Dome" as long as he is treating Canada as a hostile adversary.

The time has come to take the gloves off. If we don't, we just face a slow but certain death. I thought Carney understood this when he said, "Trump wants to break us so he can own us". Do the American's have Kompromat on Carney? What else explains his COMPLETE INACTION? I don't think Carney is stupid. You don't graduate from Harvard and Oxford by being stupid.

 

[Admiral Beez]

A lot of things in Canada need a re-think after the past year of U.S. threats.

For starters we should have been diversifying Canada’s export markets decades ago - otherwise Trump isn’t far off when he claims that without the US, Canada would not exist. We should have never have built a softwood lumber, fossil fuel or aluminum extraction industry with just one customer. Shame on us.

 

[PL1]

For starters we should have been diversifying Canada’s export markets decades ago - otherwise Trump isn’t far off when he claims that without the US, Canada would not exist. We should have never have built a softwood lumber, fossil fuel or aluminum extraction industry with just one customer. Shame on us.

But the whole premise of first the Canada-US Free Trade Accord and then NAFTA was to harmonize regulations and liberalize trade. Suddenly one partner has decided to stop playing by the agreed rules. Did we have any way of knowing this would happen? I don't think so.

Obviously more diverse trade would have been a good idea, and I think this will affect future trade deals

 

[Full Metal Junkie]

Because we're working with a big baby in the White House. If we allow Chinese EVs, Orange Man will see it as a personal slight, have a tantrum and put a 100% tariff all Canadian trade.

Except this has nothing to do with Trump. Canada has imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs long before the man-baby was elected for his second stint.

Canada imposed a 100% tariff on all Chinese-made electric vehicles, including those from BYD, effective October 1, 2024.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Except this has nothing to do with Trump. Canada has imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs long before the man-baby was elected for his second stint.

Sigh. It's the removal of the tariffs that will impact Trump's mood, not their implementation.

 

[Admiral Beez]

But the whole premise of first the Canada-US Free Trade Accord and then NAFTA was to harmonize regulations and liberalize trade.

Yes, and during that time of economic and liberal trade prosperity Canada should have been building up a rainy day plan, diversifying export markets and building domestic demand for our minerals, fossil fuels, lumber, etc.

Suddenly one partner has decided to stop playing by the agreed rules. Did we have any way of knowing this would happen? I don't think so.

We assumed the agreement would carry on, and assumptions are always dangerous.

 

[afransen]

Canada trying to cut the US off of potash might trigger some escalation as the threat that would pose to US national security would be dire.

 

[EBT]

Canada trying to cut the US off of potash might trigger some escalation as the threat that would pose to US national security would be dire.

I would not cut-off the supply of potash to the US I would just put a 50% EXPORT tariff on potash. According to the USDA, fertilizer costs represent 33–45% of total operating expenses for major crops like corn and wheat. US farmers would be apoplectic if we increased the cost of their fertilizer by 50%. Farmers are Trump's most important constituency. He responds to them. Of course, increasing fertilizer costs will result in steep increases in food prices down the road. A disaster for Trump in a mid-term election year. In announcing the 50% export tariffs Carney could say that Canada was forced to do this to make up for the loss of revenue in other industries as a result of Trump import taxes.