Canada PM Mark Carney's 'landmark agreement' with China in January 2026 was a trade deal in the oldest sense: agricultural commodities (mainly Canadian canola) for manufactured goods (EVs from China).

The US, instead, was imposing tariffs.

Thanks to the new trade deal, up to 49,000 EVs built in China can be imported into Canada at a reduced tariff rate of 6.1 percent, down from the 100 percent tariff imposed in 2024.

Canada began issuing permits for the first 24,500 vehicles in March, and Tesla moved quickly to capitalize.

It remains unclear how many of the initial 24,500 permits Tesla will lock down, though Tesla looks poised to walk away with the lion’s share according to several reports.

This means that Tesla, the company run by the man closest to the US president who started the trade war in 2025, is the first and most aggressive beneficiary of Carney's 'landmark agreement.'

...

top 5 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] grte@lemmy.ca 34 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Fucking Teslas? Talk about a bait and switch.

[–] GrackleBirb@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 day ago

Low end shitty Teslas at that. Fortunately as these models were built in China they don't qualify for the EVAP rebate which may dissuade those who weren't already disgusted by the prospect of purchasing something that benefits Felon Musk.

[–] Sepia@mander.xyz 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Elon Musk pledges Tesla to China’s ‘core socialist values’ to avert EV price war (July 2023)

China’s government has solicited a truce among its top EV manufacturers, with Elon Musk’s Tesla being the only foreign firm to sign the joint letter committing to the country’s “core socialist values”.

... Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, along with 15 other automakers, including BYD (Tesla’s biggest Chinese rival), signed the joint letter at a motor conference in Shanghai on Thursday. The contents of the letter align with China’s ruling Communist Party and President Xi Jinping.

The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology constructed a joint letter targeting unfair fluctuating prices for the leading EV makers in the world’s largest car market.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 day ago

Elon's socialism is of the "national" variety.

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 0 points 23 hours ago

If it was about 20 grand, then I'd consider it.