OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada will impose a 100 percent tariff on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday.
Trudeau told reporters in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that Ottawa will also impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from China.
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 this in line with other economies around the world,” he added.
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 billions of dollars in deals to bring major European automakers into all parts of the electric vehicle supply chain to bolster its manufacturing core.
The US is expected to announce final implementation plans for the massive tariff increases announced by US President Joe Biden earlier this year this week. However, the planned tariffs may be eased.