Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh has called for a 100% tariff on Tesla vehicles, directly targeting CEO Elon Musk. Singh’s proposal comes amid escalating tensions between the two countries, with the United States threatening to impose steep tariffs on Canadian imports.
Singh framed the move as a necessary response to what he called Musk’s alignment with American economic policies that disregard Canadian interests.
“I would put in place a 100% tariff on Tesla, directly targeting Elon Musk, because he is proudly touting this idea of the 51st state. So let’s hit back at Elon Musk,” Singh said during an interview with CNN.
The NDP leader also proposed halting the export of Canada’s critical minerals to the U.S., a move that would directly impact Tesla’s supply chain. The company relies on Canadian-sourced nickel, lithium, and other essential minerals for battery production.
“I’ve also said we should shut down the supply of critical minerals,” Singh stated. “Another move that directly targets Elon Musk and his Tesla company. The batteries he needs require these critical minerals.”
Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada’s NDP, is now also calling for 100% tariffs on @Tesla
— Drive Tesla (@DriveTeslaca) February 11, 2025
“I would put in place 100% tariff on Tesla, directly targeting @elonmusk, because Elon Musk is proudly touting this idea of the 51st state, so let’s hit back at Elon Musk.”
Singh is also… pic.twitter.com/8ZWMhorPUT
While speaking of 100% tariffs against Tesla, Singh also reiterated his commitment to bringing back Canada’s federal EV rebate program, which ran out of funding last month. Along with reviving the program, Singh promised to increase the rebate from $5,000 to $10,000 for Canadian-made EVs. However, at present, the only Canadian-made EVs are the Dodge Charger Daytona and the Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which together accounted for just 0.3% of all vehicles that received iZEV rebates last year.
This is not the first time Tesla has been singled out in Canada’s ongoing trade disputes. Previously, Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader hopeful Chrystia Freeland also suggested that Canada should target Tesla with tariffs in response to American economic policies that disadvantage Canadian industries.
If implemented, the proposed 100% tariff would effectively double the price of new Tesla vehicles in Canada, making them far less competitive compared to other EV brands. While Singh has positioned the move as a response to U.S. trade aggression, it would primarily hurt Canadian consumers looking to purchase electric vehicles (EVs).
