Trump praises Canada’s Chinese EV deal during G7 summit

Trump Appreciates Canada’s Chinese EV Deal, Says Carney After Hot Mic Incident

US President Donald Trump has expressed approval of Canada’s arrangement to import a limited number of Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) at a reduced tariff rate, according to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The deal, which was unveiled during Carney's visit to Beijing in January, permits the import of up to 49,000 Chinese EVs annually at a tariff rate of approximately 6 percent. This marks a significant reduction from the previous tariff, which exceeded 100 percent. The quota is set to increase gradually over time.

Speaking at the Group of Seven (G7) leaders summit in Evian, France, Carney stated, “He likes the structure, actually,” referring to Trump’s reaction to the arrangement. The comment followed a hot mic incident on Tuesday, where Carney was overheard discussing the deal with Trump. During the exchange, Carney explained the capped quota system, remarking, “I thought you’d actually like that.” Trump appeared to agree, responding, “that’s good.”

Carney later clarified that the topic arose because Trump had inquired about the deal. While Trump did not explicitly endorse the arrangement when asked about it, he acknowledged that he understood the concept of the quota system.