In a most amazing about face the leadership of all western countries, Canada very much included, are doing an overnight reversal of the fallacious Free Trade message they have been preaching over the last 50 years. In unison our amazing leaders are all applying huge tariffs against Chinese electric cars and a lot of other things. This is a very public renouncing of the globalization and free trade script that Conservatives and Liberals have forced down our throats.

The common dictums of free trade agreements is the removal of governments ability to impose tariffs freeing capital to locate out of country and set up where they could avoid taxation, avoid strict environmental requirements and maximize profit from the utilization cheap labour. The impact was a huge loss of Canadian sovereignty and restrictions on governments ability to plan an economy that would serve Canada and the Canadians public. It gave capital license to close and relocate factories and other forms of enterprise to low wage countries without retribution. It restricted our ability to enact environmental legislation if it negatively impacts corporate profits. It has impoverished working Canadians.

Communist China: it is noteworthy that they never refer to China as just China. It is always communist China, as if that in itself is a total condemnation. Communist China is mass producing electric cars far more efficiently and cheaper than can be done in the capitalist west. The top Chinese car manufacturers are state, or public corporations from which there is no private profit. But all importantly these cheaper priced cars are an important means of addressing the climate crisis.

Once again Canada is slitting its, or our own throat.(s). This is not a place or time for corporate protectionism. Better that we make arrangements with China to produce cars in Canada in accordance with number sold in Canada identical to the old Auto Pact we had with north American auto makers. That arrangement truly served our interests before it was axed at the altar of Free Trade.

If we so much as talked to China, rather than threatening them, they just might be receptive and Canada would have a burgeoning electric car industry that could utilize the battery production which our governments stupidly poured taxpayers money into.

A lot more could be written about this.

rb