I drove the cheap Chinese cars that are illegal in the USA. Now I know why

[al_keda]

Now they see what is coming at them, not 5 years ago like everyone else.

[Dr Strangelove]

[Dr Strangelove]

Economic Coercion: The narrator argues that these tariffs are not a strategic trade policy but a form of "transactional extortion" designed to force European compliance with U.S. foreign policy (0:14-0:18, 4:02-4:08).
Impact on Workers: The video posits that tariffs function as a domestic consumption tax. Consequently, American consumers will face higher vehicle prices, while German workers at companies like VW, BMW, and Mercedes face job losses as executives attempt to protect profit margins (5:15-5:58).
The End of an Alliance: The creator claims the "Transatlantic Partnership is dead," stating that the U.S. is prioritizing its own survival at the expense of its allies as the American empire declines (7:52-8:20).
Balkanization of Trade: These actions are expected to act as a catalyst, forcing the European Union to decouple from the U.S. and form new, closed-loop trade packs with middle powers to protect their economic interests (6:59-7:35).
The narrator concludes by suggesting that the global working class is being "crushed" by the geopolitical maneuvering of elites and advises viewers to diversify their assets and prioritize self-protection (5:59-6:08, 8:23-8:33).

[Dr Strangelove]

16 days from momentum to meltdown in Canada-US trade talks

Trump blamed the Reagan ad. Negotiations really fell apart over autos.

According to detailed reporting, Prime Minister Mark Carney left the White House on October 7, 2025 believing Canada and the U.S. were on the verge of a breakthrough trade agreement. Senior U.S. officials were enthusiastic about a framework covering steel, aluminum, uranium, and energy, and negotiators on both sides were told to begin drafting an interim deal ahead of American Thanksgiving.

The meeting went so well that Donald Trump invited Carney back into the Oval Office to show him ballroom renovation plans and even handed out Trump‑branded memorabilia. U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra described the atmosphere as “awesome.”

But sixteen days later, the talks collapsed.

Why the talks fell apart
1. Trump blamed an Ontario anti‑tariff ad campaign
Trump publicly accused Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s C$75‑million anti‑tariff ad campaign—which used a Ronald Reagan clip—of sabotaging negotiations, calling it “egregious” and “fake.”
However, officials on both sides told POLITICO the ad was just a pretext, not the real cause.

2. The auto sector was furious
Behind the scenes, the North American auto industry was increasingly frustrated at being left out of the emerging deal.
Tensions escalated when Carney’s government threatened Detroit automakers and raised the cost of importing vehicles into Canada, which U.S. officials saw as undermining the goodwill built during the Oval Office meeting.

3. Energy talks weren’t enough to save the deal
The U.S. delegation had been especially enthusiastic about increasing Canadian oil exports by “a few more million barrels a day,” and reacted positively when Carney raised the Keystone XL pipeline. But this momentum wasn’t enough to overcome the auto‑sector backlash and political tensions.

[Dr Strangelove]

Honda halts plan to build $15B EV plant in Canada: report

Multiple reports confirm that Honda has put its Canadian EV megaproject on ice, with cancellation now a real possibility:

Honda has indefinitely suspended the EV assembly plant, battery factory, and related materials facilities originally announced in 2024.

The project was supposed to produce 240,000 EVs per year starting in 2028 and anchor a full EV supply chain in Ontario.

This follows a two‑year postponement announced in 2025, which has now escalated into a full freeze.

Nikkei Asia and Electrek report that Honda is no longer treating this as a temporary pause — the project is now “shelved”, meaning it may never proceed in its original form.

Why Honda halted the project
The decision is driven by a dramatic shift in North American market conditions:

1. EV demand in the U.S. has collapsed
U.S. EV sales fell 36% in Q4 2025.

Hybrids, meanwhile, surged to 19% of U.S. new‑car sales, up from 11% the year before.

Honda is now prioritizing hybrids over EVs in its North American strategy.

2. U.S. policy changes under President Trump
The Inflation Reduction Act EV tax credits were eliminated in September 2025, raising EV prices by ~20%.

Relaxed fuel‑economy standards reduced pressure on automakers to build EVs.

These changes made a Canadian EV plant far less economically viable.

3. Honda’s global EV retreat
Honda has been unwinding its EV plans across the board:

Cancelled three North American EV models in 2025–26.

Ended the Sony Afeela EV partnership.

Took a ¥2.5‑trillion (US$15.7B) writedown on its EV business.

The company is now focusing on hybrids and delaying affordable EVs until late in the decade.

What this means for Canada
This was expected to be one of the largest private-sector investments in Canadian history. Its suspension has major implications:

Loss of a planned 36 GWh battery plant and associated supply‑chain facilities.

Uncertainty for Ontario’s EV‑manufacturing strategy.

Potential ripple effects on suppliers like POSCO Future M and Asahi Kasei, which have already pushed back their timelines.

The Canadian government is still in discussions with Honda, but the company has not ruled out cancelling the project entirely.

[Dr Strangelove]

Xiaomi is poaching engineers from BMW and Porsche — and it’s becoming a real problem for Europe’s auto industry

The Chinese company has assembled a powerful team for its automotive division.

Engineers and designers who previously worked on top models like the Porsche GT3 RS, BMW M4 GT3, Mercedes Vision GT, and BMW i8 have joined Xiaomi.

Among the new hires are specialists in electric platforms, powertrains, interiors, and performance cars. Many come from BMW, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, and Skoda.

China’s auto industry is no longer copying — it’s hiring the people who built the originals.

And while European brands are losing market share, Chinese companies are rapidly turning into the new leaders of the industry.

[Dr Strangelove]

How Canada is Enforcing Accountability on Corporations that Took Taxpayers Money."

The "collapse" of this trade deal stems directly from a demand for basic corporate accountability.

Stellantis and General Motors accepted massive Canadian taxpayer subsidies with explicit job guarantees.

They broke those signed contracts. Stellantis moved Jeep Compass production to Illinois, and GM eliminated shifts in Oshawa and shut down production in Ingersoll.

Minister Joly enforced the agreements by threatening to sue and claw back the taxpayer funds.

The United States auto monopolies violated their deals. When Canada held them financially accountable for eliminating Canadian jobs, they lobbied the White House to kill the trade talks. Enforcing contracts and protecting domestic workers is the basic duty of a sovereign government. Canada holds corporations accountable.

______
Sources:

Kelowna Now: "5 things you need to know this morning" reporting that the Politico piece cited Joly's threats to sue Stellantis and claw back funds as the main triggers leading U.S. auto chiefs to complain to the White House.

The Wall Street Journal / Reddit Archive: "Canada to Claim Stellantis, GM Owe Hundreds of Millions to Government" detailing the scale of the subsidies and the explicit conditions tied to production that were broken when GM cancelled shifts in Oshawa and stopped van production in Ingersoll.

• r/CanadaPolitics Discussion: Outlining the reduction in tariff-free exemptions for Stellantis and GM after they idled plants and failed to honor their commitments to Canadian auto workers.

[Dr Strangelove]

[testerone]

Tesla just announced the Model3 in Canada will sell for $39,900
and it's not the base US model, either.
Prior to this anti-China BS, 43,000 of the EVs imported from China were Teslas. Almost the whole quota allotted with the new agreement.

[al_keda]

Fuck. I want a BYD shark, not the 2026 equivalent of a Volkswagen.