Workers at the Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant have been notified of a two-week shutdown set to begin April 7, following the latest wave of tariff announcements from U.S. President Donald Trump. The news was shared Wednesday evening by Unifor Local 444, which represents workers at the plant, adding further uncertainty to an already turbulent North American auto sector.
In a statement posted to the union’s Facebook page, Local 444 President James Stewart confirmed that the company had informed the union of the temporary production halt, citing “multiple factors,” with the primary cause being the newly announced U.S. tariffs.
“While we had heard rumours of potential downtime, the company said there are multiple factors at play, with the primary driver behind the final decision being this afternoon’s announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump of the U.S. tariffs,” Stewart wrote.
President Trump’s announcement, delivered from the White House Rose Garden and billed as “Liberation Day,” introduced sweeping reciprocal tariffs aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing. While Canada has been exempted from certain tariff measures, the U.S. continues to enforce a 25 per cent levy on steel, aluminum, and now foreign-manufactured vehicles — a policy change that has immediate implications for cross-border automotive supply chains.
Although products that meet the requirements of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) remain exempt for now, the uncertainty surrounding tariff implementation and future trade policy has begun to reverberate throughout the industry. The Stellantis announcement reflects broader concerns facing auto plants in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
“This has and continues to create uncertainty across the entire auto industry,” Stewart added. “This is not just affecting our plant — it’s impacting facilities in the U.S. and Mexico as well.”
Unifor leadership has committed to maintaining open communication with its members while pressing Stellantis for transparency and a clearer outlook on operations moving forward.
As the industry braces for further disruptions, the Windsor Assembly Plant — a cornerstone of Ontario’s auto sector — becomes the latest symbol of how international trade tensions are shaking Canadian manufacturing.