Wilber

Trump’s tariffs are hurting the US industry which is putting stress on the companies but they would just be one factor in the closures. I don’t mind those tariffs staying all that much because they will likely hurt the US more than Canada because they have more manufacturing.

Could be less than what we are spending now trying to control this. Look at it this way, the next time you need an ambulance you might be able to get one that isn't dealing with a fentanyl overdose.

Britain will be poorer regardless of whether there is a Brexit agreement or not.

Whatever, still no reason for Magna to build one.

Why? Most expensive steel and aluminum in the world and Trump's tariff wars are making exports more difficult.

Yup. Don't forget all that extra money that could be spent on National Health.

Jaguar's new I Pace EV is built by Magna Steyr in Austria.

Not really because you would require all models of all vehicles to be built in Canada. If a particular foreign manufacturer's model becomes very popular, they will either have to pay penalties or move production to Canada, which won't happen. The result is higher prices and fewer choices for Canadians.

So you penalize foreign automakers for increasing sales but not domestic makers. That would result in retaliatory tariffs against Canada.

Again, you are trying to manipulate a market that isn't large enough to support an industry on its own. Foreign makers will either see Canada as not worth the trouble because the sales don't justify it or just add the costs to the price of the vehicle. Trump tariffs threaten jobs in new US Volvo plant

"Adding employment" is no different from a tariff as far as a manufacturer is concerned, it increases their costs. If Canada wants to be in the car business, it has to export and any restrictions we put on foreign manufacturers will be responded to in kind.

Canada's problem is building a domestic auto business without a large domestic market. The US has such a market, as does China, Japan and India. All the EU countries have the entire EU as a domestic market.

So you would require all manufacturers to build cars in Canada. Ain't going to happen.

So how would that work with import manufacturers that don't build cars in Canada, would they be prohibited from selling them? If Canadian production drops because larger markets are elsewhere and you restrict imports, what then? Not enough vehicles to buy? The problem with policies like these is anyone can play those games. This is what Trump is finding out now with his tariffs.

Except that is a VW plant. It currently builds the Tiguan, Jetta and some others. If it were to happen, export markets would be critical, the Canadian market just isn't big enough to support the cost of developing new models and an older model Corolla couldn't compete unless it was dirt cheap.

With the concentration on light trucks does that mean the cost fundamentals are no longer favourable in the US without the 25% chicken tariff?

No doubt they will be investing in electrics but they will be doing it in Europe and Asia where the markets are. They will also continue building cars like the Cruze in those countries just as Ford is continuing to build small cars in those markets. FCA has also stopped building cars in the US with its 300 based platforms only used in Canada and Europe. As the European and Asian markets are both bigger than the North American market, US manufacturing will eventually become an automotive dinosaur, building cars that have no export markets. The largest exporters of US assembled vehicles are BMW and Honda. Largely because of Trump's nonsense, BMW is moving much of its X3 production from the US to China and South Africa. US Car Exports to China down 56% in 2018 BMW

Depends on the union and management. They can work together if there is a will to.

GM is also dumping the Volt and Cruz. Gas guzzlers are where its at in North America.

At least Chrysler still employs 50% more people in Canada than either Ford or GM. For now anyway.

Europe and Asia are concentrating on developing EV's these days. North American manufacturers are regressing into trucks and SUV's because that's what North Americans buy.

Maybe our catch and release legal system should do the same.

Neither, I don't have one.

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A theory is a theory.