Fred Davies, M.P. Niagara South
April 16, 2026, Volume 7, Issue 16
The Carney Liberals decision to allow Chinese-made electric vehicles into Canada is being sold as a pivot away from the United States and to accept the world as it is over what we wish it to be. Apparently, we can now turn a blind eye away from human rights abuses as a way to teach Donald Trump a lesson.
But the truth is far grimmer. Canada’s moral compromise is a strategic misstep, and a threat to Canadian jobs.
China’s EV industry is built on forced labour, state coercion, and systemic human rights abuses, particularly in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs and other minority groups are exploited in programs linked to battery and EV production. Before Mr. Carney cheers these Chinese EVs, he might ask the two Michaels—or Niagara developer Jimmy Lai—whether opening our market ignores China’s long record of oppression and imprisonment of innocent Canadians.
As much as we want to fight back against Donald Trump, to believe that Canada can suddenly diversify away from the US is both foolish and dangerous. Over 75% of Canada’s exports go to our closest ally, yet the Liberals are prioritizing access to China, a country that accounts for less than 4% of our total trade. This is not just economically illogical, it’s strategically reckless. We should be strengthening partnerships that sustain Canadian jobs and innovation, not chasing a market that is hostile, state-controlled, and ethically compromised.
Moreover, Chinese EVs are heavily subsidized and state-backed, undercutting Canadian and North American manufacturers. The result? Fewer domestic jobs, weaker industries, and a Canadian EV sector that cannot compete on a level playing field. This is economic coercion, disguised as a climate policy win.
Conservatives have consistently said that trade must never compromise human dignity, domestic jobs, or national security. Yet this government has chosen optics over substance, ideology over principle. Allowing Chinese EVs into Canada rewards authoritarianism, undermines domestic industry, and compromises our moral and strategic standing.
Canada is at a crossroads. Pierre Poilievre’s proposal to strengthen our auto sector with the US based on tariff free access is both reasonable and protects Canada’s sovereignty.
Mark Carney has effectively used fear as a trade strategy. Canadians are deeply offended, and rightly so, over Trump’s absurd rhetoric of 51st State hyperbole. But fear is not a substitute for principle, nor can it compensate for the economic and ethical costs of pivoting toward regimes that flout human rights and undermine Canada’s strategic advantages.
And Trump won’t be there much longer. The so-called rupture will only be permanent if Canada loses sight of our strategic advantages and abandons the fundamental realities of our geography, our supply chains, and future potential. We can either anchor our economy with the United States and other trade partners or pivot toward a regime that violates international norms and exploits forced labour.
More importantly, Canada cannot afford to keep dragging its feet on eliminating interprovincial trade barriers. What was supposed to be a central focus of federal-provincial talks has once again stalled, trapped in the same gridlock and bureaucratic inertia that has crippled Canadian commerce for decades. If we can finally solve this absurd domestic trade issue, we can add more than 6.5% in GDP to our economy. For perspective, if CUSMA were to disappear, Canada would take an economic hit of approximately 3-4%. Clearly, one of Canada’s most important economic opportunities lies within our own borders.
Canada’s advantage lies in its critical minerals, steel, and aluminum, resources essential for global supply chains, domestic industry, and national security. We can add value to our raw materials and resources.
But let’s not think that China is even an option to hedge against the United States for our economic security. The Liberals’ new approach abdicates Canada’s core values and Canadians deserve better.
