Canada to Curb China EV Imports as Trudeau Responds to Biden Move
Canada to Curb China EV Imports as Trudeau Responds to Biden Move
With a joint review of Canada’s free trade agreement with the US and Mexico coming up in 2026
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Alright I'll say it. I hate how pricey cars and transportation currently are and would totally go for a decent middle of the road (no pun intended) EV that costs like $10-20K less than whats currently on offer. Now I know theres a lot of unfair competition and nuanced takes around this topic so someone please tell me why that might not be the best stance to take, I'm trying to be a little more informed.
For me, first and foremost is the fact that Chinese companies don't have to operate by the same rules here as North American companies have to operate by in China. Until that's fixed, I have no interest in letting them into our market. And that's before we get into issues like some of the more valid arguments for a limited amount of protectionism.
Right, but we have ways to require all automakers to build safe vehicles, commonly known as “safety regulations” that apply to both foreign and domestic companies. The same minimum requirements apply to a Toyota built in Woodstock or a VinFast built in Vietnam. That has nothing to do with tariffs, which are just a tax on consumers on foreign imports. This has nothing to do with protecting Canadians and everything to do with protecting big business.
Oh I'm not concerned about the safety and quality aspect. GM, Ford et al have put out plenty of unsafe shitboxes in the past. I'm talking about the fact the outside companies are flat out not allowed to operate in China without forming a partnership with a Chinese company. It's a simple rule that fuckd things up royally once all the ramifications of that play out.
This has nothing to do with protecting Canadians and everything to do with protecting big business
I think what no politician wants to admit is that car industry is a strategically important industry and has to be protected for geopolitical reasons alone. We need the manufacturing capability to maintain our industrial base as a hedge against any future conflict. (I lump it in with why you need domestic milk and food production, vaccine production, etc. When the going gets tough, you need that.)
That said, I do feel the bailouts from 2009/2010 were total horseshit and these companies got off scot-free. They've had ages to prepare to make EVs and squandered it, and now have to be protected by moves like this. We just end up paying for it, either through subsidies (eg. battery plants) or through the inflated prices of EVs.
There are a lot of ethical concerns around Chinese worker treatment, economic concerns around Chinese subsidies driving the price down, privacy concerns around Chinese tech's tendency to phone home, geopolitical concerns around giving China even more power in our nation...
But honestly, same. Nowadays I can't get a car at a decent price in a decent time frame, even worse if I want an EV, so what's the expectation? The auto industry has dropped the ball so hard that China would trivially dominate the EV industry if they were allowed to compete. That's bad, but it's so bad because the local industry isn't even in the ballpark of good enough.
Ya thats where I'm at right now. On one hand I detest the data/privacy nonsense and the unfair subsidies but... on the other I think a fire under these companies asses to innovate and compete is long overdue. Also our EV infrastructure just doesn't seem like it's quite there yet. Something has to change because I just don't think cars are worth what they are asking right now.
It is not just about data/privacy concerns (which are underestimated imo, as China pursues an own agenda with collecting your data through Chinese tech) and 'unfair' subsidies, but about gross human rights violations. In short, the cheap Chinese cars are made in concentration camps where people are forced to work under catastrophic conditions.
In a perfect world we would be divesting from car dependency as quickly as possible. Every policy move we make should be made with the intent that less people need to own a car. But no lawmakers actually agree with that position. They are content for us to pave the world and watch it boil.
If I were you, I'd grab an ebike before tariffs on them go up. It can be a major gamechanger in a city. Saves a lot of money on gas and parking fees if you just want to hit the beach/park/commute to work. Kicking myself for not buying one sooner. Radpower, Juiced, and Aventon have pretty affordable options, and my car has been pretty much left alone most of the spring and early summer.
Grabbed one for $1,200 and have put 624 miles on it in the past three or so months.