Industry Minister Melanie Joly says Ottawa will seek reimbursement for government aid if Stellantis doesn’t build another vehicle at the factory in Brampton, Ont.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
The federal government has launched a dispute settlement proceeding against Stellantis NV STLA-N over the automaker’s move to shift planned production of the Jeep Compass to Illinois from Brampton, Ont.
Industry Minister Melanie Joly said she has notified the automaker in a letter sent on Monday that the government will seek reimbursement of federal aid if the automaker does not commit to building another vehicle at the factory northwest of Toronto.
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The government says Stellantis’s shift put it in breach of funding agreements tied to auto plants in Windsor and Brampton, and the Stellantis joint venture NextStar battery plant in Windsor.
“Stellantis made a commitment – a promise – to invest in that plant, to invest in Canadian workers. And our government expects them to honour that promise. Full stop,” Ms. Joly told politicians on the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology on Monday.
This is a breaking news story. More coming.