cross-posted from : https://lemmy.zip/post/58606457

https://archive.is/FSeUr

Canada’s government is working to land a Chinese-Canadian auto plant that will export electric vehicles globally, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said.

Canadian auto parts firms such as Magna International Inc., Linamar Corp. and Martinrea International Inc. could participate in a joint-venture assembly plant in Canada with Chinese EV companies.

“We believe that these great Canadian champions can partner with Chinese EV companies to make a Canadian-Chinese car to export it around the world,” Joly said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Friday.

“We can find a way to have software in the car that will address the security concerns,” she said. “We think we’re able to have labor standards that are in conformity with what we accept and expect in Canada, and that there can be local supply chains in Canada that are created out of these investments

  • DarylInCanada@lemmy.ca
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    10 hours ago

    Toyota and Honda represented 76.5% of Canada’s vehicle production (1,226,099) in 2025 and each of Toyota and Honda produced more vehicles in Canada than Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis combined. GAC members had a 60.5% market share of all light-duty vehicles sold in Canada in 2025.

    https://globalautomakers.ca/#%3A~%3Atext=Toyota+and+Honda+represented+76.5%2Csold+in+Canada+in+2025.

    So pretty soon it will be an East Asian/Japanese car of some make and model made in Canada. The Chinese might just as well join the fray. Those lamenting the demise of Canadian jobs on assembly lines of American cars are several decades too late. The Canadian jobs are now predominantly on non-American model production lines anyway.

  • Scotty@scribe.disroot.org
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    20 minutes ago

    there can be local supply chains in Canada that are created out of these investments

    I don’t think so.

    Chinese companies bring their own migrant workers - who then work under slave-like conditions as we have seen in Brazil’s BYD plant last year, to name a recent example.

    And they also have fully integrated supply chains, meaning they purchase their parts from Chinese suppliers.

    The only thing it does is to create hurdles for Canada to rebuild its own car industry.

    If Canada want to really create supply chains, it must create ventures with European, Japanese, South Korean producers.

    • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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      18 hours ago

      only because western companies refused to build EVs.

      Ford, GM, Stellantis all built EVs no one bought. Because today’s modern online super hippies are full of shit just like the 60s versions.

      2026 Chevy Equinox. $36-45K.

      They won’t build in Canada because Biden invested billions in US battery production, while Doug Ford invested billions in a Spa and a grant for his dentist.

  • Smaile@lemmy.ca
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    20 hours ago

    They’re just going to be staffed by Chinese, the CCP do this consistently so I don’t understand the comment on here getting hopefully they won’t do it again…

    • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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      19 hours ago

      That’s obviously not what the Canadian negotiators will want.

      A major point of manufacturing here is to have jobs for the local population. (And, yes, another major point is to have supply to that manufacturing also come from our economy).

      • Smaile@lemmy.ca
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        18 hours ago

        Doesn’t matter if it’s what you want if that was part of negotiation. We stop fighting with china and we get to sell our agricultural and raw resorces to the world’s factory while they get to push their EV dependencey on to the world’s poor.

        • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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          18 hours ago

          while they get to push their EV dependencey on to the world’s poor.

          US automakers made it very clear they have no interest in selling low cost cars any more.

          • Smaile@lemmy.ca
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            17 hours ago

            You realize their are other car manufacturers then in the US.

    • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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      18 hours ago

      They’re just going to be staffed by Chinese

      BYD in NewMarket is not staffed by Chinese. Nor is BYD in Lancaster, CA.

      • Smaile@lemmy.ca
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        18 hours ago

        No? Hmm maybe we were able to get our workers doing the work then…

  • SamuelRJankis@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    Seems like a win-win-win if this works out. A Canadian company would get some much needed business, most of the world probably feel better with that software arrangement and China could at least plausibily say they’re not doing any bad things on the front.

    Open source would still be the best but that’s another whole ass can of worms.

    Joly said there are “active conversations” on how domestic firms might complement new Chinese investment into Canada’s auto sector, including with software developer QNX, which is headquartered in Ottawa and owned by BlackBerry Ltd. On a recent trip to China, Joly met with Chinese auto firms BYD Co. Ltd., the world’s largest producer of EVs, and Chery Automobile Co.

  • ZombieCyborgFromOuterSpace@piefed.ca
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    1 day ago

    That’s huge.

    This could set up the stage for us to become an EV champion on the global stage. And also develop the manufactures and know-how to build them should the deal break eventually.

    • balootgaloot@lemmy.ca
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      1 day ago

      We have the workforce, the raw materials and the general support infrastructure. Let’s get to work.