ByAnam Khan
Published: February 12, 2026
Trevor Longley, president & CEO of Stellantis Canada, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss the company's plans for 2026 and the impact of the Canada-China EV deal.
Stellantis Canada says it wants to restart production at its idle Brampton, Ont., plant, even as tariffs and economic pressure weigh on the country’s auto sector.
Canada’s auto industry was hit hard last year after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian-made automobiles, which forced manufacturers to reassess production plans.
Stellantis Canada has been among the companies rolling back output. Its Brampton plant paused operations after the cancellation of its planned Jeep Compass production, which moved to Illinois, leaving 3,000 workers in limbo earlier this year.
Many Canadians depend on that facility, and its future now factors heavily into the company’s next move, Trevor Longley, president and CEO of Stellantis Canada, told BNN Bloomberg during an interview at The Canadian International AutoShow.
“The reality is that we want to build cars in Brampton,” said Longley.
“We’ve been in Canada for 100 years. We’ve been making cars in Canada for 100 years, and we want to continue making cars for the next 100.”
Cars pass along the assembly line at the Stellantis plant in Brampton, Ont., on Friday July 21, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
His comments come as Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced the federal government is initiating a dispute resolution process to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies previously tied to production and job guarantees in Canada.Joly says Canada serving Stellantis a notice of default after automaker shifted production to U.S.
Longley said the company is having “productive dialogue with the federal government.”
He added that Stellantis Canada extended benefits to the 3,000 laid-off employees.
“We’re working on that next solution to get as many people back to work,” said Longley.
Need volume to lower costs
A key challenge for the company is scale, explained Longley.
In the automotive sector, roughly 200,000 units per year is considered a benchmark for a high-volume assembly plant. Stellantis Canada does not currently meet that threshold in its plants, and Longley said the tariff scenario complicates the situation further.
He said increasing overall vehicle production volume is critical to lowering costs and the broader automotive sector also needs to reassess market access to identify more destinations for Canadian-built vehicles.
“Those are things that maybe hadn’t been thought of in the past, but those are things that are coming into all of our considerations,” said Longley.
His comments come as Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced the federal government is initiating a dispute resolution process to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies previously tied to production and job guarantees in Canada.Joly says Canada serving Stellantis a notice of default after automaker shifted production to U.S.
Longley said the company is having “productive dialogue with the federal government.”
He added that Stellantis Canada extended benefits to the 3,000 laid-off employees.
“We’re working on that next solution to get as many people back to work,” said Longley.
Need volume to lower costs
A key challenge for the company is scale, explained Longley.
In the automotive sector, roughly 200,000 units per year is considered a benchmark for a high-volume assembly plant. Stellantis Canada does not currently meet that threshold in its plants, and Longley said the tariff scenario complicates the situation further.
He said increasing overall vehicle production volume is critical to lowering costs and the broader automotive sector also needs to reassess market access to identify more destinations for Canadian-built vehicles.
“Those are things that maybe hadn’t been thought of in the past, but those are things that are coming into all of our considerations,” said Longley.
Windsor plant made more cars than previous year
While Brampton remains idle, Stellantis Canada’s Windsor, Ont., plant has ramped up production of its Dodge Charger and continued production of its Chrysler minivan lineup.
“We’re actually one of the only OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) that made more cars in Canada than the previous year, and we’re going to do that again this year,” said Longley.
He said the company also hired 1,700 new Canadians to build cars and announced Thursday that it added a third shift at the facility.
He also said Stellantis Canada hired more than 600 engineers at its Automotive Research and Development Centre in Windsor.
‘Makes a lot of sense to make cars in Canada’
Longley said any policy that protects Canadian auto production is a step in the right direction, addressing Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new national automotive strategy aimed at protecting domestic jobs and reducing reliance on the U.S.
While it has historically been more cost effective to import vehicles than to manufacture them domestically, Longley said Canada has the infrastructure and talent to compete.
“This is a first world country, a great economic country,” said Longley.
“It makes a lot of sense to make cars in Canada.”
He added that the industry must also be pragmatic about Chinese electric vehicles entering the Canadian market by assessing whether domestic producers operate on an equal competitive footing in terms of market access.
“If we’re on the same competitive footprints, competition is a good thing,” said Longley.
Anam Khan
Journalist, BNNBloomberg.ca
Market Outlook: Honda and Toyota dominate Canada vehicle production
By BNN Bloomberg
Published: February 12, 2026
David Adams, president of Global Automakers of Canada, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss the strategy for Honda and Toyota amid U.S. tariffs.
Canada’s auto sector is undergoing another reset as U.S. tariffs, shifting trade policy and changes to federal EV rules alter the manufacturing outlook. Japanese automakers now account for the bulk of vehicle production in Ontario as Detroit Three output declines.
BNN Bloomberg spoke with David Adams, President of the Global Automakers of Canada, at the Canadian International AutoShow about tariffs, production trends, EV strategy and what’s at stake in upcoming trade talks.
Key TakeawaysToyota and Honda produced 77 per cent of cars and light trucks built in Canada last year, reflecting a sharp decline in Detroit Three output.
U.S. tariffs on non-U.S. content in Canadian-built vehicles add costs for manufacturers exporting to the United States, even with partial offsets under the trade deal.
Automakers argue North America’s integrated supply chain makes the U.S. industry more competitive globally than a fully repatriated production model.
The federal government is shifting from a zero-emission vehicle sales mandate toward stricter greenhouse gas emission targets, giving manufacturers more flexibility in compliance.
Ottawa is signalling that companies selling vehicles in Canada should demonstrate domestic investment, whether through assembly, parts production or research and development.
By BNN Bloomberg
Published: February 12, 2026
David Adams, president of Global Automakers of Canada, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss the strategy for Honda and Toyota amid U.S. tariffs.
Canada’s auto sector is undergoing another reset as U.S. tariffs, shifting trade policy and changes to federal EV rules alter the manufacturing outlook. Japanese automakers now account for the bulk of vehicle production in Ontario as Detroit Three output declines.
BNN Bloomberg spoke with David Adams, President of the Global Automakers of Canada, at the Canadian International AutoShow about tariffs, production trends, EV strategy and what’s at stake in upcoming trade talks.
Key TakeawaysToyota and Honda produced 77 per cent of cars and light trucks built in Canada last year, reflecting a sharp decline in Detroit Three output.
U.S. tariffs on non-U.S. content in Canadian-built vehicles add costs for manufacturers exporting to the United States, even with partial offsets under the trade deal.
Automakers argue North America’s integrated supply chain makes the U.S. industry more competitive globally than a fully repatriated production model.
The federal government is shifting from a zero-emission vehicle sales mandate toward stricter greenhouse gas emission targets, giving manufacturers more flexibility in compliance.
Ottawa is signalling that companies selling vehicles in Canada should demonstrate domestic investment, whether through assembly, parts production or research and development.
David Adams, president of Global Automakers of Canada
Read the full transcript below:
ROGER: Well, Canada’s vehicle manufacturing landscape has changed wildly over the past year as Canada copes with U.S. tariffs aimed at shifting manufacturing jobs south of the border. While production from American companies has fallen sharply in Canada, other international companies like Honda and Toyota have been better able to maintain their presence here. Joining us now is Andrew Bell, who is standing by with David Adams, president of the Global Automakers of Canada, down at the Auto Show. Andrew?
ANDREW: Thanks very much, Roger. Yeah, you’re dead right. In fact, incredibly, last year 77 per cent of the cars and light trucks produced in Canada were by Toyota and Honda. So I’m here with David Adams. He is president of the Global Automakers of Canada. Thanks very much for giving us the time. Your group represents Honda and Toyota and who else?
DAVID: Basically all of the European and Asian auto manufacturers. So we have 16 member companies in the association and, as you said, our two manufacturing members are responsible for more than three quarters of the production in Canada. All of our members together are responsible for more than 60 per cent of all the sales in Canada, and probably the preponderance of electric vehicle sales as well.
ANDREW: You’ve been with the association for 21 years. Tell us about the changes you’ve seen in those two decades.
DAVID: Well, I think I can sum it up and say there’s been more change that’s occurred probably in the last three to five years than in the previous 15 years that I was with the association. I think just the change in technology, from moving from an internal combustion engine to varying degrees of electrification, all of the advancements that we’ve seen in connected and automated vehicles — the technology that’s been built into the vehicle now is truly extraordinary compared to what it was even 10 years ago. So there’s lots of changes, for sure.
ANDREW: And on the manufacturing side, a retreat by the big U.S.-based automakers.
DAVID: Well, look, I mean, I think everybody has their time in the sun, I suppose. And I think one of the things that I’ve been trying to do over my tenure with the association is to help advance the message that the ones that were the biggest producers at one point in time aren’t anymore and that, frankly, policymakers need to pay attention to those that have been here — maybe not as long — but are making a real commitment to Canada, and our other members who are considering making a commitment to Canada. So one thing that’s sometimes lost is when our governments go on trade missions over to Asia or Europe, they perhaps sometimes neglect to talk to the Canadian offices that can help grease the wheels with some of those discussions and dialogues overseas.
ANDREW: About getting possibly factories here — Korean factories, European factories?
DAVID: Yeah, factories. I mean, that’s always held out as the panacea — to get a motor vehicle manufacturing facility in Canada. But I think the reality is that all these things need to be looked at through the lens that most of the production, no matter who’s producing the vehicle, goes to the United States. So the thing that we do need to get sorted out is our trading relationship with the United States. As long as that border is thick, as long as there are tariffs in place, it becomes a challenge for anybody making vehicles here to continue to do so in the face of tariffs. Government has done a good job at trying to offset those tariffs and, frankly, because we have the trade agreement with the United States, the Americans have at least given credit for American parts that are in Canadian-built vehicles, which has offset the tariff cost. But it’s still an extra cost that anybody manufacturing in Canada has to bear to move their vehicles into the U.S. market.
ANDREW: Toyota itself has been quoted as saying the current tariff regime imposed by the White House over the long term would make it unsustainable to go on making cars in Canada.
DAVID: Well, you know, we’ll see what the future brings. I think any automaker operates on a long-term planning horizon, and that planning horizon is usually longer than one administration. So I think the hope would be that we can work with this administration to come to a better trading relationship in North America, because our argument has always been that the U.S. auto industry is stronger when it’s incorporated with both its Canadian and Mexican partners — to be a more competitive industry overall to compete with the world. It’s been a challenge to help the president understand that, and he seems to think that the best course of action is to try and repatriate everything to the United States. The challenge with that is, yes, you can do it, but it just ends up costing more to repatriate everything back to the United States. Global supply chains are global supply chains for a reason, because you get the best-quality product at the lowest possible cost. That cost reduction can be passed along to the consumer.
ANDREW: In Canada, we’ve lost a lot of our production to Mexico. Mexico has seen its production rise. They’re a lower-cost country.
DAVID: Yeah, well, that was an outcome of NAFTA, for sure, is that we did see some of our production go down to Mexico. But I think the reality is that we’re not going to get anybody in Canada or the United States, for that matter, to be involved in producing really labour-intensive goods like wiring harnesses and that sort of thing. So I think where there are labour-intensive parts and components, a lot of that is done in Mexico. And I think the reality is that every regional jurisdiction around the world — whether it’s in Asia, Europe or North America — there needs to be some low-cost jurisdiction to help the other components of that region succeed as a group together. So it’s sort of the way that the world operates, I think.
ANDREW: Just on EVs, Honda has backed down or slowed down a major investment in EVs. Of course, they’re not the only car company to do that. Give us an idea, though: what is the production volume, roughly, of electric vehicles from those two big Japanese makers in Canada? Can you give us a ballpark?
DAVID: In Canada at the moment, well, I think we’re actually looking at more from my two members — Honda and Toyota — at hybrid production, of course, and plug-in hybrid production. I think that will be the next step that follows. But I think — and this is what we’ve been saying to government for a long time on these issues — is don’t prescribe what consumers have to buy by basically mandating manufacturers. I think the government has just announced an automotive strategy, and part of that strategy is to move away from what we call a ZEV mandate — so a prescribed target of EVs that manufacturers need to sell — to an approach that looks more at GHG and greenhouse gas emissions. That might not mean much to most people, but the more fuel you burn, the more greenhouse gas emissions you create. So let’s set a target for greenhouse gas emissions and let the manufacturers figure out how they’re going to meet that target. If that target gets more stringent, then a lot of manufacturers — the only way they’re going to be able to comply — is to electrify. So I think that’s ultimately what the prime minister is hoping is going to happen — that we set stringent but achievable targets, then the electrification will occur without having a prescribed mandate that was in place before last week’s announcement.
ANDREW: Just very quickly — we’re out of time, I’m sorry — but the government’s proposed policy now is you’re at risk of tariffs if you’re not making cars in Canada. What is the reaction of your group to that?
DAVID: Well, I think the government’s just simply trying to say, basically going back to Auto Pact days, if you want to sell vehicles here, then you should build vehicles here. It might not necessarily be building vehicles — it might be R&D investment, it might be doing some parts production — all sorts of different opportunities, I think, there for investment.
ANDREW: David, thanks very much. David Adams, president of the Global Automakers of Canada.
---
This BNN Bloomberg summary and transcript of the Feb. 12, 2026 interview with David Adams are published with the assistance of AI. Original research, interview questions and added context was created by BNN Bloomberg journalists. An editor also reviewed this material before it was published to ensure its accuracy and adherence with BNN Bloomberg editorial policies and standards.
Read the full transcript below:
ROGER: Well, Canada’s vehicle manufacturing landscape has changed wildly over the past year as Canada copes with U.S. tariffs aimed at shifting manufacturing jobs south of the border. While production from American companies has fallen sharply in Canada, other international companies like Honda and Toyota have been better able to maintain their presence here. Joining us now is Andrew Bell, who is standing by with David Adams, president of the Global Automakers of Canada, down at the Auto Show. Andrew?
ANDREW: Thanks very much, Roger. Yeah, you’re dead right. In fact, incredibly, last year 77 per cent of the cars and light trucks produced in Canada were by Toyota and Honda. So I’m here with David Adams. He is president of the Global Automakers of Canada. Thanks very much for giving us the time. Your group represents Honda and Toyota and who else?
DAVID: Basically all of the European and Asian auto manufacturers. So we have 16 member companies in the association and, as you said, our two manufacturing members are responsible for more than three quarters of the production in Canada. All of our members together are responsible for more than 60 per cent of all the sales in Canada, and probably the preponderance of electric vehicle sales as well.
ANDREW: You’ve been with the association for 21 years. Tell us about the changes you’ve seen in those two decades.
DAVID: Well, I think I can sum it up and say there’s been more change that’s occurred probably in the last three to five years than in the previous 15 years that I was with the association. I think just the change in technology, from moving from an internal combustion engine to varying degrees of electrification, all of the advancements that we’ve seen in connected and automated vehicles — the technology that’s been built into the vehicle now is truly extraordinary compared to what it was even 10 years ago. So there’s lots of changes, for sure.
ANDREW: And on the manufacturing side, a retreat by the big U.S.-based automakers.
DAVID: Well, look, I mean, I think everybody has their time in the sun, I suppose. And I think one of the things that I’ve been trying to do over my tenure with the association is to help advance the message that the ones that were the biggest producers at one point in time aren’t anymore and that, frankly, policymakers need to pay attention to those that have been here — maybe not as long — but are making a real commitment to Canada, and our other members who are considering making a commitment to Canada. So one thing that’s sometimes lost is when our governments go on trade missions over to Asia or Europe, they perhaps sometimes neglect to talk to the Canadian offices that can help grease the wheels with some of those discussions and dialogues overseas.
ANDREW: About getting possibly factories here — Korean factories, European factories?
DAVID: Yeah, factories. I mean, that’s always held out as the panacea — to get a motor vehicle manufacturing facility in Canada. But I think the reality is that all these things need to be looked at through the lens that most of the production, no matter who’s producing the vehicle, goes to the United States. So the thing that we do need to get sorted out is our trading relationship with the United States. As long as that border is thick, as long as there are tariffs in place, it becomes a challenge for anybody making vehicles here to continue to do so in the face of tariffs. Government has done a good job at trying to offset those tariffs and, frankly, because we have the trade agreement with the United States, the Americans have at least given credit for American parts that are in Canadian-built vehicles, which has offset the tariff cost. But it’s still an extra cost that anybody manufacturing in Canada has to bear to move their vehicles into the U.S. market.
ANDREW: Toyota itself has been quoted as saying the current tariff regime imposed by the White House over the long term would make it unsustainable to go on making cars in Canada.
DAVID: Well, you know, we’ll see what the future brings. I think any automaker operates on a long-term planning horizon, and that planning horizon is usually longer than one administration. So I think the hope would be that we can work with this administration to come to a better trading relationship in North America, because our argument has always been that the U.S. auto industry is stronger when it’s incorporated with both its Canadian and Mexican partners — to be a more competitive industry overall to compete with the world. It’s been a challenge to help the president understand that, and he seems to think that the best course of action is to try and repatriate everything to the United States. The challenge with that is, yes, you can do it, but it just ends up costing more to repatriate everything back to the United States. Global supply chains are global supply chains for a reason, because you get the best-quality product at the lowest possible cost. That cost reduction can be passed along to the consumer.
ANDREW: In Canada, we’ve lost a lot of our production to Mexico. Mexico has seen its production rise. They’re a lower-cost country.
DAVID: Yeah, well, that was an outcome of NAFTA, for sure, is that we did see some of our production go down to Mexico. But I think the reality is that we’re not going to get anybody in Canada or the United States, for that matter, to be involved in producing really labour-intensive goods like wiring harnesses and that sort of thing. So I think where there are labour-intensive parts and components, a lot of that is done in Mexico. And I think the reality is that every regional jurisdiction around the world — whether it’s in Asia, Europe or North America — there needs to be some low-cost jurisdiction to help the other components of that region succeed as a group together. So it’s sort of the way that the world operates, I think.
ANDREW: Just on EVs, Honda has backed down or slowed down a major investment in EVs. Of course, they’re not the only car company to do that. Give us an idea, though: what is the production volume, roughly, of electric vehicles from those two big Japanese makers in Canada? Can you give us a ballpark?
DAVID: In Canada at the moment, well, I think we’re actually looking at more from my two members — Honda and Toyota — at hybrid production, of course, and plug-in hybrid production. I think that will be the next step that follows. But I think — and this is what we’ve been saying to government for a long time on these issues — is don’t prescribe what consumers have to buy by basically mandating manufacturers. I think the government has just announced an automotive strategy, and part of that strategy is to move away from what we call a ZEV mandate — so a prescribed target of EVs that manufacturers need to sell — to an approach that looks more at GHG and greenhouse gas emissions. That might not mean much to most people, but the more fuel you burn, the more greenhouse gas emissions you create. So let’s set a target for greenhouse gas emissions and let the manufacturers figure out how they’re going to meet that target. If that target gets more stringent, then a lot of manufacturers — the only way they’re going to be able to comply — is to electrify. So I think that’s ultimately what the prime minister is hoping is going to happen — that we set stringent but achievable targets, then the electrification will occur without having a prescribed mandate that was in place before last week’s announcement.
ANDREW: Just very quickly — we’re out of time, I’m sorry — but the government’s proposed policy now is you’re at risk of tariffs if you’re not making cars in Canada. What is the reaction of your group to that?
DAVID: Well, I think the government’s just simply trying to say, basically going back to Auto Pact days, if you want to sell vehicles here, then you should build vehicles here. It might not necessarily be building vehicles — it might be R&D investment, it might be doing some parts production — all sorts of different opportunities, I think, there for investment.
ANDREW: David, thanks very much. David Adams, president of the Global Automakers of Canada.
---
This BNN Bloomberg summary and transcript of the Feb. 12, 2026 interview with David Adams are published with the assistance of AI. Original research, interview questions and added context was created by BNN Bloomberg journalists. An editor also reviewed this material before it was published to ensure its accuracy and adherence with BNN Bloomberg editorial policies and standards.
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