Poilievre to visit Detroit to push tariff

Poilievre to visit Detroit to push tariff-free auto pact proposal

Conservative leader plans to meet with American business leaders

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will travel to Detroit on Tuesday to lobby U.S. business leaders for an end to cross-border tariffs impacting Canadian manufacturing, his office announced Monday.

His trip to the Motor City comes as trade frictions continue to impact key Canadian sectors, including automotive, steel, aluminum, and forestry.

Poilievre is scheduled to meet with American executives and promote his proposed "Tariff-Free Auto Pact" to U.S. media outlets.

His plan aims to create a duty-free auto agreement and restore Canada's auto production to two million cars per year over the next decade.

"My message to Americans is simple: these tariffs drive up costs and put jobs at risk in both our countries," Poilievre said in a statement. "For decades, free trade has helped out workers build things together, sell to each other and bring home bigger paycheques."

"Let's get tariffs out of the way so workers and businesses on both sides of the border can get ahead."

Poilievre travelled to Detroit in March and met with Michigan politicians and representatives from Ford and General Motors to push for an integrated North American auto sector and tariff-free trade.

Across the river from Detroit, Windsor is feeling the impacts of tariffs on Canada's automotive sector, with Stellantis saying they contributed to recent layoffs.

Justin Escoto is a reporter at CBC Windsor. He is a graduate of Carleton University, and previously worked at the Canadian Press and the Charlatan. He enjoys covering music, history, and pro wrestling. You can reach him at justin.escoto@cbc.ca.