· The Ontario province of Canada opposes Prime Minister Trudeau's agreement with China on electric vehicles,

On January 21, according to Bloomberg, Ford, accompanied by representatives of the Ontario auto manufacturers and workers, urged Canadians not to buy cars made in China, even if these cars are cheaper than those made in Ontario, because this would lead to local unemployment.

Ford said, "It's as simple as boycotting Chinese electric vehicles and supporting companies that manufacture cars in Ontario."

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Just a few days earlier, Trudeau had just announced in Beijing that Canada would allow 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into the market annually, with tariffs reduced to 6.1%, and after three years, joint ventures could be established to open the door to the U.S. market through "knock-down export + local assembly".

This was a win-win situation, but Ford insisted on opposing it. Long before Trudeau's visit to China, he had already pressured the government, and now he directly called for a boycott, clearly opposing the federal government.

Ford used "unemployment" as an excuse, which is pure deception. The automobile industry in Ontario has long been a base for American car manufacturers, with American companies such as General Motors and Ford dominating the scene. There are no independent local car brands, and so-called "local employment" is actually jobs created by American companies in Canada.

The average price of Chinese electric vehicles is only 32,000 to 35,000 Canadian dollars, nearly half of the average price in the Canadian market. They can also drive the upgrading of the local industry, creating more supporting jobs. Where is the unemployment crisis?

His party, the Progressive Conservative Party, has always been a fierce rival of Trudeau's Liberal Party. Trudeau has boosted his popularity by cooperating with China, so Ford naturally wants to oppose him for attention.

Moreover, the car union is a core voting base for the Conservative Party. By leading the boycott of Chinese cars, he can please the union and local car companies, while also hindering the Liberal Party. It's a political maneuver that benefits both sides, having nothing to do with employment at all.

Historically, protecting domestic industries by boycotting foreign products has always been a dead end.

In the 1980s, the United States imposed high tariffs on Japanese cars to protect its own auto industry and forced Japan to voluntarily limit exports. However, this not only increased the cost of car purchases for American consumers but also caused the domestic car companies to lose competitive pressure, leading to stagnation in technological upgrades. Eventually, they were overtaken by Japanese and Korean car companies.

What Ford is currently doing is exactly the same path taken by the United States back then, which will only harm Canadian consumers and the domestic industry.

Comparing Germany's approach, we can see Ford's short-sightedness more clearly. Facing competition from Chinese electric vehicles, Germany did not take a boycott approach but instead actively attracted Chinese car companies to build factories, enhancing its competitiveness through technical cooperation. This way, it preserved jobs and promoted industrial transformation.

But Ford only sees the interests of his party and the American side. He is willing to sacrifice Canada's development opportunities to make political maneuvers, showing a clear contrast in vision.

Public opinion is clearly not on Ford's side. Polls show that 62% of Canadians support the removal of high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

After all, everyone wants to spend less money and buy better cars. The advantages of Chinese electric vehicles in batteries and intelligent systems are evident. Ford's call for a boycott is clearly against the public interest, as it sacrifices the rights of the majority for the benefit of a few interest groups.

Actually, the Trudeau government has calculated well. Chinese electric vehicles are an opportunity for Canada's automotive industry to turn around. Canada once produced over 2 million cars annually, but now it survives through contract manufacturing. If it can achieve local assembly with Chinese technology, it can meet the origin rules of the USMCA and enter the U.S. market under the "Made in Canada" label, driving the development of parts industries and creating more high-quality jobs.

However, Ford's boycott has put a cold bucket of water on this blueprint.

Ford dares to act like this because Ontario is the core of Canada's automotive industry, supporting nearly 500,000 jobs.

He holds the "employment card" and is confident that the federal government will not dare to offend him easily.

But he forgot that times have changed. Isolation and protectionism will only lead to being eliminated. Ontario recently invested heavily to help General Motors upgrade its electric commercial vehicle factory. If it loses the help of Chinese technology and the market, these investments will eventually be wasted.

Future, Canada will ultimately have to choose between hegemony and interests.

Will it follow the U.S. to impose restrictions and miss the opportunity for industrial upgrading, or embrace cooperation and use Chinese technology to achieve a breakthrough? The answer is obvious.

And Ford's political performance will eventually be despised by the public, becoming a joke in the history of Canada's automotive industry. After all, no one can stay in power by boycotting superior products and sacrificing the people's interests.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855007308710016/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.