Canadian union Unifor calls for strict tariffs on imported Chinese EVs

Canadian labour union Unifor called on the federal government on Thursday to impose tariffs on all Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs), EV batteries and other components, aligning it with some of the measures already proposed by the United States.

In July, Canada began a public consultation process as it weighs imposing tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, following similar moves by the United States and European Union.

The Canadian government has said it sees "a risk that China's unfair support for the EV sector, if left unchecked, could lead to an exponential surge of imports that will adversely affect planned EV investments and the transformation of Canada's automotive sector."

The public consultation process is set to end this week.

"The United States and the European Union have responded proactively to the threat posed by unfair imports and now it's time for Canada to do the same," Unifor, Canada's largest union representing private-sector workers, said on Thursday.

Unifor has demanded that Ottawa impose a surtax above the existing tariff rates of 100% on Chinese-made electric vehicles, and a surtax of 25% on batteries, as well as tariffs on electric motors and battery cell materials.

Even as Canada examines possible tariffs, Chinese automaker BYD, one of the world's biggest EV manufacturers, recently met with the Canadian government to discuss the potential application of tariffs on EVs, and its plans to begin selling passenger EVs in Canada.

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