Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Canadians to boycott Chinese-made electric vehicles when they are allowed back into the country under a deal recently struck by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Ford has been critical of the deal — and the fact Carney did not speak to him about it in advance — saying it will harm Ontario's auto sector.
Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed while the prime minister was in China that Canada will all but drop its 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese EVs and allow an annual import quota of up to 49,000 of the vehicles in exchange for China reducing its canola tariffs.
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Ford spoke at a press conference today with Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association, Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, and Lana Payne, national Unifor president, condemning the China deal as putting Ontario's auto industry at a disadvantage.
The officials say the federal government must now step up with measures that will boost the domestic auto industry's competitiveness, such as lowering the cost of investing in plants, machinery and research and development.
The premier says Canadians should support car companies that have a manufacturing presence in Canada, and he does not believe Chinese automakers will ever start producing vehicles in Canada, as Carney has suggested.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2026.
