In a sign of things to come in a post-tariff world, the world’s largest buyer of U.S.-made cars turned its attention to Mexico
The Great White North is sidestepping tariffs imposed by Donald Trump. It’s been looking for creative ways to do it for a few months. Now, for the first time in 30 years, it’s bought more cars from Mexico than it did from the U.S.
While it’ll be several months, if not longer, before we understand the full impact of Donald Trump’s tariff policy, this could be an early indicator of what the future holds. According to Bloomberg, Canadian importers brought in C$1.08 billion ($784 million) of passenger vehicles from Mexico during June. That exceeds the C$950 million from the US. Figures from July aren’t available yet.
Tariffs Reshape Regional Supply Chains
A 25 percent tariff on imported cars coming into the U.S. has completely changed the landscape in North America. While Mexico benefited from a recent deal with the U.S., Canada slapped the U.S. with a reciprocal tariff, but at the same time softened the blow for automakers who continue to invest in Canada.
All of this brings to light the fact that Canada is by far the largest buyer of US-made vehicles. Should it continue on this path of finding ways around tariffs, the carmakers that could suffer most are GM, Ford, and Stellantis. At the same time, there’s no guarantee that this trend continues. Trump has made it clear that he’ll change strategy whenever he feels like it.
Short-Term Strategy or Long-Term Shift?
As AutoNews also points out, Canada imported far more cars from the U.S. directly before tariffs took effect. Whatever stockpile it might have built up might give it the freedom to buy more cars from Mexico for only a brief time.
“What we’re seeing now is a begrudging acceptance that perhaps this is a new world and we are going be living with tariffs over the long term,” said Brian Kingston, chief executive officer of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association.
“How do you then manage that? Is there a way to shift production to lower tariffs? Do you pass it on to the consumer? These are all open questions that companies are grappling with,” he said. The truth is that only time will tell how these questions get answered.
