OTTAWA — Canadian auto industry leaders panned Industry Minister Melanie Joly’s claim Monday that Chinese carmakers are interested in forming joint ventures to make electric vehicles with Canadian labour, parts and standards, and said Ottawa’s China push threatens Canada’s chances at getting a deal at the trade table with the United States.
As the July 1 deadline for renewal of the deal looms, and Ottawa is in the midst of a delicate dance with the Trump administration over how closely it is aligning with China, a trip in the past week by Joly to China accompanied by several mining, investment and business executives, but no Canadian carmakers, was seen as cause for concern.
Carney has to know what Joly is up to.
