Canada’s China EV import quota jumps again, reaching 9,235 vehicles

Just one week after the last update, Canada’s quota for electric vehicle imports from China has jumped significantly again, with more than 9,200 vehicles now imported under the program.

According to the latest Global Affairs Canada report, 9,235 Chinese-built electric vehicles have been imported under Canada’s 24,500-vehicle quota between March 1 and August 31, 2026. That leaves 15,265 import allocations remaining, meaning roughly 38% of the available quota has now been utilized.

The previous report, published on July 10, showed 6,531 imported vehicles.

Lower customs value category continues to grow

The latest update also shows the majority of new imports were once again classified as electric passenger cars with a customs value of C$35,000 or less.

That category grew from 2,430 vehicles to 4,657, an increase of 2,227 vehicles. Meanwhile, the over-C$35,000 passenger car category increased more modestly from 4,080 to 4,553 vehicles, while the SUV and van category rose from 21 to 25 vehicles.

As with previous reports, these value thresholds refer to the customs value used for import classification and should not be confused with the retail price consumers pay in Canada.

Tesla likely accounts for most imports

The report does not identify manufacturers, but Tesla is still likely responsible for the vast majority of these imports. The automaker has been importing Shanghai-built Model 3 sedans into Canada since the program launched, and there has been little evidence of any competing automaker bringing Chinese-built EVs into Canada at anything approaching Tesla’s volume.

The continued growth of the lower customs value category remains one of the more intriguing pieces of information released by the government. It could indicate that additional manufacturers have begun importing qualifying EVs, but given the current Canadian market, a more likely explanation is that later shipments of the Model 3 are being declared under a different customs value classification than earlier imports.

More than 15,000 import permits remain

Despite the rapid increase in imports, significant capacity remains under the current quota. With 15,265 allocations still available and about six weeks remaining in the first quota period, importers still have considerable room before reaching the limit.

Any unused allocations from the March-to-August period will carry over into the second quota period beginning September 1, meaning importers could have access to nearly 40,000 vehicle permits in the second half of the quota year if the current allocation is not fully utilized.