If the Carney government truly wanted to save the Stellantis plant in Brampton, it would be spending more time focused on Washington, D.C.
Canada’s entire auto industry relies on access to the American market, and for nearly two years that access has been in doubt.
There were claims that talks had picked up and there might even have been a deal before the U.S. midterms, which happened last week.
uncertain
which → want → midterms
That appears to have been a mirage, at best a false claim floated by U.S. President Donald Trump in an attempt to save some seats in border states.
uncertain
That → appear → states
While government contacts confirm there are talks, they are vague and not being held at the highest levels.
asserted
they → confirm → levels
“There’s no sense of urgency,” said one source familiar with the talks.
asserted
source → ’ → talks
Talks broke off in August for one main reason – the Americans refused to budge on their 25% tariff on medium- and heavy-duty pickup trucks.
asserted
Americans → break → trucks
While they agreed to a lower tariff for passenger cars, SUVs, vans and light-duty trucks, they dug in on the heavy-duty vehicles.
asserted
they → agree → vehicles
Those are the kinds of trucks made in Oshawa by General Motors and in Oakville by Ford.
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Those → make → Ford
Baking that 25% tariff into the deal going forward was untenable.
asserted
Baking → bake → deal
“No movement as of yet,” said one source briefed on the auto side of the talks.
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source → say → talks
Prime Minister Mark Carney has claimed the deal the Americans wanted would have restricted our sovereignty and dictated cultural policy, including French-language policy.
asserted
Americans → claim → policy
Discussions with representatives of six different provincial governments, as well as political and industry officials, cast doubt on those claims.
uncertain
Discussions → cast → claims
A member of the Quebec delegation went so far as to say that before the talks broke off, the federal government didn’t even flag French-language policy as a sticking point.
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government → go → point
Brampton pays the price
So here we are, nearly three months later, and we still don’t have a deal, but autoworkers at the Stellantis plant in Brampton have been told their jobs are gone.
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jobs → pay → Brampton
Stellantis is selling the plant to a defence company and, according to reports, leasing back part of it to assemble Chinese electric vehicles from knock-down kits.
uncertain
Stellantis → sell → kits
All you do is open a box and assemble it.
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you → do → it
There are no parts jobs that would support those cars being built, and knock-down kits require fewer assembly workers.
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kits → be → workers
Some will cheer that they get a cheap car, but Canada loses a key industry to a global competitor that subsidizes these vehicles and uses cheap and, at times, slave labour in production.
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that → cheer → production
Facilities assembling knock-down kits in Europe and South America have already resulted in job losses and a loss of market share for domestic makers.
asserted
Facilities → assemble → makers
In Europe, Chinese vehicles accounted for 0.2% of all cars sold five years ago and are now at 10%, while in Brazil, a major auto manufacturing centre, Chinese vehicles account for 20% of the market, up from 2% in 2021.
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vehicles → account → 2021
Chasing China, not a deal
Carney and his government have been visiting China and praising Chinese vehicles.
asserted
Carney → chase → vehicles
They have courted Chinese automakers to come to Canada, including through partnerships like the one likely destined for Brampton.
asserted
They → court → Brampton
What he should have been doing is visiting Washington and fulfilling his election promise to get us the best deal.
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doing → do → deal
Instead, he walked away in August and declared that we are at war.
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we → walk → war
That’s good politics, but it’s horrible economics.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
For an economist, Carney has certainly adapted well to politics.
asserted
Carney → adapt → politics
He knows that fighting with Trump keeps his political popularity higher, so he does it even at the expense of Canadian jobs.
asserted
he → know → jobs
Carney’s supporters will tell you that he’s pivoting us away from the United States, that he’s signing more trade deals.
asserted
he → tell → deals
Signing more trade deals is a good thing, and so is diversifying our trading partners.
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Signing → sign → partners
The problem is that the Ford F-350 being built in Oakville isn’t going to be sold in Europe, India or the Philippines.
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F-350 → build → Europe
While these trade deals work their way through our system, we still need a trade deal, a better trade deal, with the U.S.
Carney is too busy heading off to China once again, as he will next week.
Meanwhile, Canadian workers suffer.
asserted
workers → work → China
The Aporia
