NDP Leader Also Pledges to Restore Electric Vehicle Rebates, But Not for Tesla
– NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has announced that, if elected, his government would impose 100% tariffs on Tesla vehicles in Canada for as long as trade tensions with the United States persist.
In a statement released Monday, Singh said the protectionist policies of President Donald Trump require strong countermeasures to defend Canadian industries and workers.
“Tesla has benefited immensely from free trade with Canada. If the U.S. continues its economic aggression, we must respond in kind,” Singh said.
Singh also pledged to revive Canada’s federal electric vehicle (EV) incentive program, which ended due to lack of funding. However, an NDP spokesperson confirmed that Tesla vehicles would be excluded from the rebate as part of the trade retaliation.
The original Liberal government EV rebate program, launched in 2019, offered up to $5,000 off the price of a new electric vehicle. Some Liberal leadership candidates have promised to bring back the program:
Karina Gould – Pledges to double incentives and expand them to include gas-hybrid vehicles.
Mark Carney – Supports restoring the rebate, but only for low- and medium-income households.
Singh’s announcement comes amid increasing economic tensions between Canada and the U.S., fueled by Trump’s decision to remove tariff exemptions on steel and raise aluminum tariffs to 25%.
With Canada-U.S. trade relations under strain, Singh’s Tesla tariff proposal signals a tougher stance on economic retaliation—one that could reshape the future of the auto industry in Canada.