National Economy

[casper]

Federal government is implementing a buy-Canada strategy similar to what the US does. That is forcing federal government funded projects to buy Canada....

TTC to single-source new Line 2 subway cars, securing made-in-Canada approach amid Trump tariffs

Fifty-five sorely needed subway cars for Line 2 will be single-sourced from train manufacturer Alstom, Mayor Olivia Chow has confirmed, all but guaranteeing they will be built in Canada amidst the economic uncertainty created by U.S. tariffs.

The city had been called on by higher levels of government to ensure the $2.3 billion for new subway cars was spent in Canada amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada.

The TTC had originally openly tendered the contract for the new cars, Chow explained, but that had to be changed with the made-in-Canada approach guaranteeing that the cars would be built in Thunder Bay by Alstom.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc...343f143fa.html

[James Bond Agent 007]

With full text due to paywall.

German minister says auto industry in talks to expand footprint in Canada

The German auto industry is keen on expanding its presence in Canada and is in the midst of discussions, Berlin’s economic minister says.

Katherina Reiche, Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, said the Canadian auto sector strategy laid out by Prime Minster Mark Carney last week “is very attractive” for Germany.

“I can’t go into detail, but please take the message that our car industry is willing to invest here, because we will find good conditions here,” Ms. Reiche said in an interview.

“We are in talks to extend our footprint” in Canada, she later added.

Volkswagen has committed to building an electric vehicle battery factory in St. Thomas, Ont., through its PowerCo subsidiary.

Ms. Reiche did not elaborate on whether an expanded footprint means through PowerCo or another investment.

“Leave it to the talks,” she said, adding “it’s more than just talking. We are looking into numbers, into details.”

As The Globe reported, Ottawa has asked the governments of South Korea and Germany, the two countries with companies bidding to build the Canadian navy’s next submarine, to make auto industry production pledges in Canada as part of their pitches.

Last month, Hyundai Motor Group executive chair Chung Euisun visited Ottawa at the same time as a high-level South Korean government delegation led by Kang Hoon-sik, South Korea’s presidential chief of staff. The South Koreans signed a memorandum of understanding intended to bring South Korean auto-sector manufacturing and investment to Canada.

The MOU is non-binding, but pledges both sides to working together to promote the manufacturing of autos, electric vehicles, batteries and hydrogen-powered vehicles. The agreement said Ottawa and Seoul will work on “advancing a Korean automotive industrial footprint in Canada” as well as “electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing opportunities.”

[kwoldtimer]

Subs from SKorea, tanks from Germany? Whatever works.

[someone123]

I am sure it's more efficient to have integrated supply chains with American car makers, but is it really that much worse if Canada ends up making deals with German or Japanese car makers? The feds can still make protectionist deals if they want where Canadians end up buying from certain makers and then in exchange there are roughly proportionate manufacturing operations here (either assembling cars for this market or doing some portion of integrated manufacturing for Europe and Asia). We could integrate that with defence spending in some cases. Prices will go up, variety will go down. The earth will continue to spin around its axis and revolve around the sun.

Maybe somebody has done some sort of analysis of the possibilities.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by someone123

I am sure it's more efficient to have integrated supply chains with American car makers, but is it really that much worse if Canada ends up making deals with German or Japanese car makers? The feds can still make protectionist deals if they want where Canadians end up buying from certain makers and then in exchange there are roughly proportionate manufacturing operations here (either assembling cars for this market or doing some portion of integrated manufacturing for Europe and Asia). We could integrate that with defence spending in some cases. Prices will go up, variety will go down. The earth will continue to spin around its axis and revolve around the sun.

Maybe somebody has done some sort of analysis of the possibilities.

Could you see a scenario where prices actually go down?

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Subs from SKorea, tanks from Germany? Whatever works.

Have a friend that was a FO on one of our existing subs. I asked him what would be the best. He said either the Korean or German ones are good. The Koreans though could get them to our shores faster within 3 years for the first.


As for the price of cars going down. It will never happen even if we flood the market with less expensive ones.