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mkozlowsyesterday at 5:32 PM5 repliesview on HN

Keep in mind that the US auto industry is also very much a Canadian one. A lot of Big Three stuff happens across the border in Ontario.

But all the policy support that would have let North American automakers build up a competitive position with China is gone, so this is more about just acknowledging reality now.


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FractalParadigmyesterday at 6:04 PM

> Keep in mind that the US auto industry is also very much a Canadian one.

As someone who's worked in the auto industry (in Canada) I have to 'hard disagree.' The big three have proven time and time again that we (Canadians) are second-class citizens when it comes to how they operate the facilities built here. Even before any of this nonsensical tariff nonsense, billions in government money has been given to the likes of Stellantis and GM over the years in an effort to keep jobs in Canada, with them putting in the bare-minimum effort to satisfy people in the short-term and thanking us by continuing their movement of production out of the country. Instead of trying to talk the president down from his pointlessly harmful tariffs, or doing what Toyota/Honda have done in pivoting to building worldwide models beside the domestic ones, the big three are gleefully taking the opportunity to expedite the closure or downsizing of facilities here.

Outside of the chuds who 'need' a pickup truck to satisfy their fragile ego, sales of "American" vehicles are starting to drop, with buyers choosing domestically-produced where possible (like the Toyota Rav4, Lexus NX/RX, or Honda Civic/CR-V).[0]

[0]: https://ca.investing.com/news/economy-news/market-share-of-u...

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boringgyesterday at 5:49 PM

I think that was true up until last year. Clearly the new administration wants nothing to do with Canada except extract.

justonceokayyesterday at 5:39 PM

Yeah there was never any competing with china, our industry just relies on our market using different values to purchase a car.

It’s tough to convince most price-inelastic people they shouldn’t buy a car that is 1/2 price, even if it has fewer features.

Edit: to be clear I meant that the US did not compete, not that they could not compete

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Waterluvianyesterday at 6:05 PM

It was. Then the U.S. turned into whatever the hell you call all that.

Now we have U.S. automakers who are derefential to the current regime's leader and are pulling out. The Federal and Ontario government both tried to somehow make them happy, but you can't make that kind of monster happy. So it's time to move on.

heresie-dabordyesterday at 6:41 PM

> the US auto industry is also very much a Canadian one

Trump's message is loud and clear. The Canadian Prime Minister has said, "the past relationship with the US is over."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y41z4351qo

The US President: "US does not need cars made in Canada; free trade deal is irrelevant"

    https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/we-dont-need-cars-made-in-canada-trump-says-calls-cusma-irrelevant/
US Ambassador: "US does not need Canada":

    https://www.pressreader.com/canada/sentinel-review-woodstock/20260116/281629606665800