China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, vows to defend the interests of Chinese businesses after Canada's announcement of imposing steep tariffs on Chinese made products such as electric vehicles and steel and aluminum. However, Lin Jian's speech was met with retaliation from Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the issue of subsidies, protectionism, and competition between the two countries. Lin Jian accuses Canada of ignoring basic international trade rules while restricting market development for Chinese industries. Meanwhile, the tariff on Chinese EVs may push Tesla to switch to delivering products from Germany rather than from China's Shanghai factories.
In a move that has angered China and drawn praise from Canadian automakers, Canada has announced a 100 per cent import tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. This comes four months after a similar move by the US, and with plans for tariffs in Europe as well. While some activists fear this will slow the uptake of electric vehicles in Canada, the Canadian government argues that China unfairly subsidizes its EV industry, overproduces vehicles, and fails to meet environmental and labor standards.