US says Canada will regret decision to allow Chinese EVs into their market

US comments came in response to deal by Canada PM Carney to allow 49,000 EVs into Canada at 15 percent tariff, down from 100 percent.Published On 16 Jan 2026Officials of the administration of United States President Donald Trump have said that Canada will regret its decision to allow imports of up to 49,000 Chinese EVs, and that those cars would not be allowed to enter the US.“I think they’ll look back at this decision and surely regret it to bring Chinese cars into their market,” US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Friday at an event with other government officials at a Ford factory in Ohio to tout efforts to make vehicles more affordable.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Why is Venezuela ‘uninvestable’ for Big Oil?list 2 of 4Trump threatens tariffs over Greenland, calls it vital for securitylist 3 of 4X to block Grok AI’s undressing featurelist 4 of 4EU-Latin America trade deal: Who wins?end of listCanada in 2024 imposed 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) following similar US duties. But on Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a trade deal in Beijing that would allow in up to 49,000 Chinese EVs at a tariff of 6.1 percent on most-favoured-nation terms. That move has prompted alarm in the US that it could help China get a broader foothold in North America even as Washington takes an increasingly hardline on Canadian vehicles and parts.US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the limited number of vehicles would not impact US car companies exporting cars to Canada.“I don’t expect that to disrupt American supply into Canada,” he said. “Those cars are going to Canada – they’re not coming here.”The Canadian Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment.Greer, in a separate CNBC interview, called Canada’s decision “problematic” and added, “There’s a reason why we don’t sell a lot of Chinese cars in the United States. It’s because we have tariffs to protect American auto workers and Americans from those vehicles.”