A trio of Canadian auto trade executives have been named to Ontario’s new Council on U.S. Commerce and Business Competitiveness.

Flavio Volpe, CEO, Automotive Elements Producers’ Affiliation, David Adams, president, World Automakers of Canada, and Canadian Car Producers’ Affiliation CEO Brian Kingston have all been tapped to advise Ontario Premier Doug Ford on how finest “to guard Ontario’s rights below commerce agreements.”

Ford introduced the creation of the council in December 2021, when he named Unifor Nationwide President Jerry Dias, whose union represents hourly staff on the Detroit Three’s Canadian operations, because the council chair.

“The creation of this council comes at a crucial time for the Ontario financial system as sure gamers within the U.S. bang the drum of protectionism,” Ford mentioned in a press release Monday. “At a time when our authorities is laying the groundwork to unleash the complete potential of our financial system, we have now labored too exhausting to create a seamless and built-in auto trade that massively advantages each our nations to see that destroyed by politics. I’m proud to begin working with these esteemed new members alongside Jerry Dias as we proceed to guard an built-in financial system that employs thousands and thousands of staff on either side of the border.”

Rounding out the council are:

• Catherine Cobden – President & CEO, Canadian Metal Producers Affiliation;
• George Gilvesy – Director and Chair, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers;
• Maryscott “Scotty” Greenwood – CEO, Canadian American Enterprise Council;
• Goldy Hyder – President & CEO, Enterprise Council of Canada;
• Craig McInnes - President, Teamsters Native Union 938 in Ontario and member of the Teamsters Canada Govt Board;
• Veso Sobot – Former Director, Company Affairs at IPEX Administration Inc., and;
• Michael Willick – President, M. L. Willick & Associates Ltd.

The province mentioned, “there’s a urgent want for the work this council will do.”

“The U.S. authorities is contemplating protectionist measures that will threaten key industries throughout Ontario, together with auto, lumber, metal, agriculture and extra,” it mentioned. “Of specific significance, measures being debated by the U.S. Congress would affect auto agreements that started in 1965 with the Auto Pact, have been solidified in 1994 by NAFTA and reaffirmed in 2020 with the Canada-United States-Mexico Settlement. 

“These agreements have introduced prosperity and high-skilled, well-paying jobs to staff and communities throughout Ontario and North America for greater than half a century.”

U.S. President Joe Biden is preventing to go laws that will see Individuals obtain a US$12,500 EV incentive utilized solely to U.S.-made, union-made electrical automobiles.

Volpe and Adams have mentioned the motivation would primarily quantity to a 34-per-cent tariff in opposition to Canadian-made automobiles. 

Ontario Minister of Financial Growth Vic Fedeli helped assemble the council.

“We can’t let new laws in america jeopardize a long time of cooperation and put staff on either side of the border in danger,” Fedeli mentioned. “The brand new members of the council, with the complete help of our authorities, will proceed to advocate for Ontario in opposition to unfair Purchase American insurance policies by highlighting the price of protectionism to companies on either side of the border and selling a Purchase North American strategy to our auto and different sectors.”

Dias warned that U.S. protectionism poses a critical menace to the Canadian financial system.

“We can’t underestimate the seriousness of the problem and it’ll require a mix of stakeholders from all sectors of the financial system to defend in opposition to U.S. isolationist measures that may damage staff.”