Ontario jobs 'at risk' if Canada doesn't match U.S. tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles: Doug Ford

Premier Doug Ford is calling on the federal government to place a 100 per cent tariff on electric vehicles manufactured in China, warning that failure to do so could put jobs at “risk” in Ontario.

The U.S. announced last month that it planned to place new tariffs of more than 100 per cent on Chinese made electrical vehicles but the Canadian government has not yet indicated whether it plans to follow suit.

In a statement released on Thursday, Ford called on the feds to “immediately match or exceed” the U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, which will eventually apply to some other goods as well.

“Taking every advantage of low labour standards and dirty energy, China is flooding the market with artificially cheap electric vehicles. Unless we act fast, we risk Ontario and Canadian jobs,” Ford warned.

Ford pointed out that Ontario has secured $43 billion of investments in electric vehicle and battery manufacturing in the province, calling it a “all-hands-on-deck achievement.”

However, he said that “we can never take our progress for granted.”

“Now’s the time to work with our U.S. partners to deepen and strengthen home-grown, U.S.-Canada supply chains. Now’s the time to protect good, hard-earned Ontario and Canadian jobs by matching U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports,” the statement notes.

Chinese brands do not currently account for a significant portion of Canada’s electrical vehicle market, though the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association has warned that they could become one “on the horizon,” having already made significant inroads in the European market.

Speaking with reporters last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that his government was watching what the U.S. was doing “very closely,” but he did not make any firm commitments on matching the tariffs.