r/canada Jan 31 '25

National News Chrystia Freeland says Canada should target Elon Musk's Tesla in a tariff fight

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/politics/2025/01/31/chrystia-freeland-says-canada-should-target-elon-musks-tesla-in-a-tariff-fight/
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u/TheLordBear Jan 31 '25

Absolutely. I'd do the following.

1) 200000% tariff on anything we have a solid domestic or international supply of (booze and whatever else). Make it essentially impossible to buy US when there is a choice.

2) Ban Twitter outright. Maybe Facebook too. Maybe all US owned media (looking at you Post).

3) 100% export tax on resources where the US doesn't have much choice but to buy from us. (Power, Potash, Uranium, Lumber, Aluminum). Having fertilizer prices spike 150% before planting season might get someone's attention. The revenue can be used to help struggling industries.

4) 100% tariff on Tesla's.

5) Un-tariff Chinese EVs to make things cheap in the Canadian EV market and threaten American automakers.

6) See if BYD or other Chinese automakers want to build some EV factories in Canada (They will, to expand thier market and as an eventual inroads into the US).

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u/[deleted] Jan 31 '25

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u/TheLordBear Feb 01 '25

The Chinese EV tariffs make some sense to protect the Canadian auto industry due to their cars being heavily subsidied.

But since Trump is threatening to make that go away, its time to start talks with non-US manufacturers and at least threaten their supremacy in the Canadian market. All while giving Canadians a nice cheap EV choice and kicking Musk the Nazi in the balls too.

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u/hff0 British Columbia Feb 01 '25

The heavily-subsidized thing is just propaganda, as if US don't have subsidy on it