Canada to impose 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles

Canada will impose a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday.

Trudeau told reporters in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that Ottawa will also impose a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imported from China, CNN reported.

The tariffs come just over a month after Ottawa opened a 30-day public consultation on Chinese electric vehicles and related products, bringing it in line with the United States and the European Union.

“I think we all know that China does not play by the same rules,” Trudeau said.

“The important thing about this is that we do it in concert and in parallel with other economies around the world,” he said.

Ottawa is trying to position Canada as a key part of the global electric vehicle supply chain, and has come under domestic pressure to move against China.

Canada has struck multibillion-dollar deals to bring in major European automakers across the electric vehicle supply chain to bolster its manufacturing core.

The US is expected to announce final implementation plans this week for the steep tariff increases announced by US President Joe Biden earlier this year. However, the planned tariffs may be eased.