Canada resists United States trade demands to protect its automotive industry
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared that Ottawa will not sign any new trade agreement with Washington that fails to guarantee a sustainable domestic auto sector.
Canada withdrew from bilateral negotiations three months ago after last-minute demands from Washington threatened Canadian vehicle manufacturing.
Following a lengthy discussion with President Trump, Carney emphasized in Manila, “This government will not settle for a deal with the United States that is not consistent with a viable Canadian auto sector,” as reported by CBC News.
Carney added that reaching a stable automotive trade agreement quickly is “absolutely in the interest of course of Canadian workers, Canadian auto sector, but very much the U.S. as well“.
To reduce its economic reliance on the American market, the Canadian government introduced a C$142.1 billion national budget titled “Masters of our Destiny”.
Funded in part by domestic oil revenue, the package finances critical mineral mining, energy production, housing, and direct financial support for auto and steel workers impacted by U.S. tariffs.
As reported by Business Insider Africa, Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, said: “At its core, our plan is about changing Canada’s growth model“.
Champagne emphasized that “no matter what happens south of the border, no matter what happens in the world, we will be more resilient, we will be stronger, we will be more independent“.
South Africa turns to China as trade policies in the U.S. shift
While Ottawa builds domestic self-reliance, South Africa is broadening its commercial partnerships across Asian markets following the loss of duty-free trade access to the American market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
Supported by a zero-tariff policy implemented by Beijing for qualifying African exports, South African shipments to China surged by nearly 25% between May and August 2026, while imports from China rose by 23%.
Announcing the metrics in Pretoria, Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng expressed confidence that “more high-value-added South African products would enter the Chinese market in the future“.
Together, the actions taken by Ottawa and Pretoria reflect a broader shift as nations act to shield their economies from changing Washington trade policies.
