Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu with Chinese officials at Chery auto plant in Wuhu

The head of Canada’s largest private sector union is calling out a Brampton MP for visiting a Chinese auto manufacturing plant while auto workers in his own riding are struggling to keep their jobs.

International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, who represents Brampton East, visited the Chery auto plant in Wuhu, China to talk upcoming models, research and innovation and “hear about their plans to introduce affordable EVs to Canadians,” while posting pictures of his visit.

Unifor President Lana Payne, however, took Sidhu to task for the visit while “thousands of auto workers are fighting to save their jobs, including in Minister Sidhu’s own riding of Brampton.”

The Stellantis manufacturing plant in Brampton has been idled since late 2023, with the company announcing the plant is for sale.

Stellantis has signed a memorandum of understanding to sell the plant to Brampton-based Roshel – who has said they want to turn it into a defense manufacturing centre – but there has been interest from several other entities, including Chinese auto makers who could convert it into an electric vehicle plant.

“Anyone who understands the auto industry knows the problem China poses to hundreds of thousands of jobs here in Canada and across North America and to the entire manufacturing industry,” Payne said.

Unifor has been promoting its Sell Here, Build Here campaign, with the message being delivered directly to the public through social media graphics and billboards since Prime Minister Mark Carney announced he had struck a trade deal with China that will allow up to 49,000 electric vehicles per year into Canada at a reduced tariff rate.

Payne previously called that a “self-inflicted wound to an already injured Canadian auto industry.”

“I don’t want to hear it’s just three per cent of the auto market. It always starts like this. It’s 20 per cent of the EV market,” Unifor President Lana Payne told a crowd of Local 222 members in Oshawa. “The Chinese quota will grow every year. In fact, the government has given them an escalator. There will be no turning back this clock.”

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Unifor President Lana Payne in Oshawa

Unifor wants companies that profit from the Canadian market to invest and build here or risk penalties, including tariffs, and loss of Canadian customers.

“If you want access to Canada’s market, you must invest here, create jobs here and build here. That is how we protect Canadian jobs, defend our industrial base and build a stronger, more resilient economy for future generations,” Payne said.

Flavio Volpe, who heads up the Canadian Automotive Parts Association and has been active in fighting the automotive tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump in early 2025, said courting favour with Chinese automotive manufacturers should not be a priority of the federal government.

“Chery is not going to make cars in Canada. We all know this,” he said on X. “We need to focus on Brampton Assembly and the five companies that already assemble cars in Canada and the hundreds of suppliers making parts and systems for them.”


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