Ford letter to PM: Chinese EV kits must not be assembled at Brampton plant

Summary

• Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to block the assembly of Chinese-made electric vehicle kits at the newly sold Stellantis Brampton plant.
• Ford warned that replacing domestic vehicle production with Chinese knock-down kits could result in over 7,500 direct job losses in Brampton.
• Sources indicate Stellantis plans to re-lease 25% of the facility to Roshel for assembling affordable EVs while retaining a portion of its workforce.
• The federal government publicly opposes the import of Chinese EV kits but remains open to Chinese manufacturers producing vehicles in Canada through joint ventures.
• Industry Minister Melanie Joly previously stated that importing kits would undermine Canada's 200,000-strong auto parts sector.
• Unifor National President Lana Payne criticized the sale as a betrayal of workers & opposed any arrangement that threatens thousands of jobs.
• Roshel CEO Roman Shimonov acknowledged the frustration of impacted workers but noted the company's inability to fully assume Stellantis' unionized commitments.
• Ford's letter was addressed to Carney & copied to Industry Minister Melanie Joly, Ontario Minister Vic Fedeli, Unifor President Lana Payne, & Auto Parts Manufacturer Association President Flavio Volpe.
• A meeting between Unifor, Joly, & Stellantis is scheduled for Thursday in Toronto to discuss the plant's future.