Doug Ford calls on Ontario to boycott Chinese EVs

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on the province to boycott Chinese electric vehicles, as he continues to criticize the Liberal government’s trade deal with China.

“Boycott the Chinese EVs,” Ford told reporters Wednesday at Queen’s Park. “Support companies that are building vehicles here.”

@nowtoronto Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on the province to boycott Chinese #EVs, ♬ original sound – Now Toronto

Following his visit to Beijing, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada would import 49,000 Chinese-made EVs at a favourable tariff rate in exchange for reduced tariffs on Canadian canola exports.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also extended its visa-free program to Canadian nationals as a result of the bilateral talks.

Prior to the deal, Canada and the U.S. had been imposing a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made EVs since 2024.

Ford says the deal will harm Ontario’s auto industry at a time when the sector has already been hard-hit by tariffs from the United States.

“Instead of importing vehicles, we should be making vehicles by Canadian workers, using Canadian steel, respecting Canadian specs and standards, leveraging Canada’s supply chain,” Ford says.

“It’s as simple as that; it’s a Team Canada approach. … We gotta stick together.”

Major automakers who have manufacturing plants in Ontario include Ford in Oakville and Brampton, General Motors in Oshawa and Ingersoll, Honda in Alliston, Stellantis in Windsor and Brampton, and Toyota in Cambridge and Woodstock.