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TORONTO – President Trump’s new tariffs on heavy-duty trucks and buses are the latest direct attack on our auto manufacturing sector—another act of economic blackmail designed to drag investment and good jobs out of Canada.
“Trump is coming for Canada’s industrial manufacturing base, weaponizing tariffs one sector at a time using security-threat provisions that everyone knows are completely bogus,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “The question is, how many more hits is Canada willing to take before we fight back?”
On October 17, Trump once again invoked Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act, inventing a national security threat in order to slap 25% tariffs on heavy-duty pickup trucks and semi-trailers and 10% tariffs on buses. Even for vehicles that qualify under CUSMA, the tariffs target non-U.S. parts used in vehicles built in Canada, creating a deliberate disincentive for companies to manufacture here. The message is obvious: move production to the United States—or pay.
The tariffs, set to take effect November 1, will hit Unifor workplaces already hammered by Trump’s trade war, including commercial truck builder Paccar in Quebec, where workers have already endured repeated layoffs, and General Motors Oshawa, which is slated to lose a shift early next year, among others.
“Jobs are being lost in real time while the Trump administration drags out negotiations and we’re told to be patient as we still have the best in a bunch of bad international trade deals,” said Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier. “We need a united cross-sector approach to protect our good-paying jobs.”
This latest blow comes on the heels of Stellantis’ move to abandon its legal commitment to build the next-generation Jeep Compass in Brampton, shifting production, and roughly 3,000 Canadian jobs, to Illinois instead.
“The reality is corporations are buckling to pressure from the U.S. and If we don’t fight back now, we’re handing him our jobs, our leverage and our future,” Payne warned.
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
For media inquiries or to arrange interviews please contact Unifor Communications Director Kathleen O’Keefe at @email or by cell at (416) 896-3303.
