Ford warns Carney not to cut tariffs on Chinese EVs as PM looks to repair ties with Beijing

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to stand firm when he travels to China later next week and keep the steep tariffs on its electric vehicles in place.

Canada opened a trade irritant with China when the government, in lockstep with then-U.S. president Joe Biden, slapped a 100 per cent tariff on EVs — arguing the measure was required to protect Canada's domestic automobile industry.

China retaliated by slapping tariffs on canola, seafood and pork. Ottawa has since been under pressure, notably by the Prairie premiers, to lift those duties to provide relief for Canadian farmers, producers and harvesters.

But Ford, an outspoken proponent of his province's auto industry, says Carney should hold the line.

“We can't back down. Simple as that,” he said during a news conference Thursday.

“[If] they want to come and open a big manufacturing facility and employ Unifor employees, well, let’s talk," he said, referring to the autoworkers' union.

"But don’t be shipping cars in not manufactured by Ontarians.”

Trade will be a key topic when Carney meets with China's President Xi Jinping and other top officials.

The prime minister is looking to repair the relationship which was pushed to the breaking point in 2018 when China arbitrarily detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor -- in what was seen as retaliation after Canada arrested the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies.

The Prime Minister’s Office said trade, energy, agriculture and international security are all on the agenda.

Asked if he would support a compromise on EV tariffs, Ford restated that the vehicles should be made here.

“We have the best auto workers in the entire world. That's the compromise,” he said.

“Come here and look at the market and maybe it'll hold other automakers accountable, well, the U.S. automakers, accountable when they're shipping vehicles up here.”

Last year China’s ambassador to Canada suggested the Chinese electric-vehicle giant BYD has been interested in investing in Canada.

Wang Di told the Globe and Mail BYD “had carefully thought about coming to Canada to make investment” but “met huge difficulties, restrictions and obstruction and they had to give up."

He told the newspaper in March the electric vehicle manufacturer's presence in Canada would have provided Canadians with “good-quality” and less-expensive electric vehicles.