Reference News, February 7 report: According to the website of Singapore's Straits Times, on February 7, Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly said that the Canadian government is working to promote Sino-Canadian joint manufacturing of electric vehicles for global sales.
The report stated that Joly told Bloomberg News in an interview on February 6 that Canadian automotive parts companies such as Magna International, Linamar Corporation, and Martinrea International have already established operations in China and could participate in joint assembly plants set up in Canada.
She said, "We believe these outstanding Canadian companies can collaborate with Chinese electric vehicle companies to create Sino-Canadian joint vehicles for sale around the world."
The report noted that this move to be friendly toward Chinese automakers marks a shift in Canada's position. Canada is seeking to reduce its reliance on the U.S. auto market and build a stronger domestic automotive industry. Canada had previously accused China of providing unfair subsidies to its manufacturers and also raised security concerns about Chinese automotive technology.
Joly said, "We can find solutions in automotive software to address security concerns. We believe we can establish labor standards that are consistent with what we accept and expect in Canada, and through these investments, we can build local supply chains in Canada."
Joly said that there have been "active dialogues" on how Canadian companies can complement new investments by China in Canada's automotive industry. During her visit to China last month, she met with representatives from Chinese automakers BYD and Chery Automobile.
Joly believes that despite higher labor costs in Canada than in China, jointly developed electric vehicles would still be globally competitive. She cited Honda's affordable Civic model produced in Ontario as an example, saying, "We can always find solutions."
The report stated that Canada's goal of attracting Chinese automotive investment is part of broader efforts to promote trade de-escalation between China and Canada. In January of this year, China agreed to start removing tariffs on Canadian agricultural products, while Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles to enter Canada annually, subject to the most-favored-nation tariff rate of 6.1%.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7603996667313914394/
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