Article: Canada cancels mandatory requirement for electric vehicle sales

The Canadian government announced on Wednesday that it will cancel the national mandate for the sale of electric vehicles, marking another retreat in climate policy by the Liberal government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney. In 2023, under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Ottawa government implemented regulations requiring that 20% of cars sold nationwide in 2026 must be zero-emission vehicles. This policy was met with widespread opposition from car manufacturers, who believed that the regulation brought unbearable cost pressures; and as the new U.S. government reduced its support for electric vehicles, Canada's mandatory requirements gradually lost support. The Canadian government stated that stricter emission standards will be established for models from 2027 to 2032, with the new regulations helping the country achieve its goal of electric vehicles accounting for 75% of sales by 2035 and 90% by 2040. In a statement, Carney's office said that cancelling the mandate for the sale of electric vehicles "will streamline emission reduction policies, focus on core emission reduction achievements that Canadians care about, and avoid placing excessive burdens on domestic industries." Carney pointed out that the U.S.'s tariff policies have damaged the highly integrated North American automotive industry, thus pushing Canada to achieve trade diversification and boost domestic manufacturing development. Canada will continue to impose retaliatory tariffs on cars imported from the U.S. and is studying related measures to encourage domestic car manufacturers to expand production and investment.