\u201cUnifor has very grave concerns about this proposal because it is not manufacturing,\u201d national president Lana Payne said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t use the Canadian supply chain. There are no jobs in auto parts and very few jobs assembling these knock-down kits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Federal Industry Minister M\u00e9lanie Joly said such plans didn\u2019t meet its expectations for restoring production to Brampton.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt needs to support the local supply chain,\u201d she said at an event in Vancouver.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t bring cars in a kit to Canada. Why? Because one of the big parts of our auto industry is actually linked to the fact that we have a big auto parts sector, 200,000 workers.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said Canada also has three significant auto parts makers in Magna International, Martinrea International Inc. and Linamar.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd so we\u2019ll support these companies, we\u2019ll support these workers,\u201d said Joly.<\/p>\n
Stellantis did not confirm any talks with Chinese manufacturers, but said in a statement that it is actively evaluating future programs for Brampton and is in discussions with government officials and key stakeholders.<\/p>\n
The automaker bought a roughly 21 per cent stake in Leapmotor in 2023 and has since formed a partnership to expand production outside of China.<\/p>\n
Stellantis said it remains focused on a strong Canadian footprint with an objective of ensuring any investment decision is sustainable and a long-term commitment that supports workers and suppliers.<\/p>\n
The future of the Brampton plant is unclear after Stellantis announced last year that it was moving production planned for the site to the United States.<\/p>\n
The decision, leaving about 3,000 workers furloughed, came after the U.S. imposed tariffs on auto imports with an aim to bring more production in-country.<\/p>\n
Federal Industry Minister M\u00e9lanie Joly\u2019s office said in a statement that the automaker\u2019s decision to move Jeep Compass production to Illinois was unacceptable and that it\u2019s working with the company, Unifor and the Ontario government to secure production.<\/p>\n
The potential of bringing Leapmotor to Canada comes after the federal government announced it was lowering tariffs on 49,000 Chinese EVs per year to 6.1 per cent from a prohibitive 100 per cent.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Mark Carney said at the time that he expected the deal would drive \u201cconsiderable\u201d new Chinese joint-venture investment in Canada and create new auto manufacturing careers for Canadian workers.<\/p>\n
Unifor and Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized the deal, saying it would end up being harmful to the Ontario manufacturing base.<\/p>\n