While the federal government seeks input on protecting the Canadian electric vehicle market from a flood of cars from China, Unifor has ideas.
Earlier this week, the Globe and Mail reported that Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has filed with a federal regulator to enter the Canadian market.
It's not selling vehicles in Canada yet, and the filing comes when Ottawa is considering tariffs that would significantly undermine any cost advantage for those imports.
BYD does sell electric buses in Canada.
The U.S. applied a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles, and the European Union has a 37 per cent tariff.
Unifor said imposing a surtax above existing tariff rates on Chinese-made EVs of 100 per cent, 25 per cent on batteries, and 25 per cent on critical minerals will align Canada with American measures.
The union also calls for an extension and expansion of incentives for buyers who purchase a Canadian electric vehicle and increasing resources for the Canada Border Service Agency so it can withhold any products it suspects are made with forced labour.
"Working-class communities across Canada have been hurt before by governments that have signed unfair trade deals or failed to listen to workers and organized labour," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "Canada must implement these recommendations in order to protect good auto jobs and build a more prosperous, fairer, cleaner, and resilient economy."
"Canada has everything we need to build the electric vehicles of the future in our own backyard," she added. "The United States and the European Union have responded proactively to the threat posed by unfair imports, and now it's time for Canada to do the same."
According to the Globe and Mail, BYD officials were in the Windsor area last week to talk to potential parts suppliers.
