‘Dumbfounded and disgusted’: Canada’s car capital grapples with Trump tariffs
A highly anticipated tariff announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday has caused confusion and concern in Canada’s automotive hub. The president, during a lengthy address in the Rose Garden at the White House, offered some relief to Canada by excluding it from a list of countries facing new reciprocal tariffs from the U.S.
However, the Trump administration is upholding previously announced tariffs that impact Canada, including tariffs of up to 25 per cent on assembled vehicles and certain automotive parts. “I’m dumbfounded and disgusted at the same time, because we’re talking about people’s livelihoods on the line,” stated John D’Agnolo, president of Unifor Local 200.
D’Agnolo’s union represents nearly 2,000 workers who build Ford’s V8 engines in the Windsor region. These engines are then sent to the U.S. to be installed in trucks and Mustangs. The White House has specified that engines are among the “key automobile parts” subject to a 25 per cent tariff effective this week.
D’Agnolo emphasized that while many parts used in the engines are American-made, others come from Canada, China, and other countries. The uncertainty lies in the fact that parts compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) are currently exempt from tariffs until the administration establishes a process to apply tariffs to their non-U.S. content.
The potential impact of these tariffs is concerning for workers on both sides of the border due to the deeply integrated automotive supply chains in North America. Parts often cross the border multiple times before final assembly, meaning that any tariffs imposed by the U.S., as well as retaliatory tariffs from Canada or Mexico, would significantly increase costs for manufacturers and consumers.
Windsor-Essex is home to over 52,000 manufacturing workers, with thousands employed in the automotive industry. Many of these workers assemble Pacifica minivans at Stellantis’ Windsor assembly plant, which are among the vehicles set to be affected by Trump’s tariffs.
Following Trump’s announcement, Unifor Local 444 announced that Stellantis would halt production for two weeks starting on April 7 due to the tariffs. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens expressed relief that Canada was spared from the initial round of tariffs but acknowledged the anxiety felt by Windsor residents.
Despite the challenges ahead, D’Agnolo remains hopeful that the workforce will weather the storm. He plans to advise his members to be cautious with spending and continue producing high-quality products to demonstrate their resilience during this uncertain time.
