Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent visit to China has resulted in a rare and tangible adjustment in China–Canada economic relations, including Ottawa's decision to reduce tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from 100 percent to 6.1 percent and to allow a limited number of Chinese EVs into the Canadian market each year.
In a North American environment where Chinese EVs remain effectively excluded from the United States and face mounting political scrutiny elsewhere, the announcement naturally drew attention. For many observers, it appeared to signal a new opening—perhaps even a breakthrough—for Chinese automakers seeking a foothold in developed markets.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on January 20, 2026. (Photo: CFP)
Yet the significance of this development should not be overstated. The scale of the arrangement is modest, its political durability uncertain, and its broader implications contingent on factors far beyond tariff levels alone. What makes Canada important is not that it has suddenly become a major destination for Chinese EV exports, but that it offers a controlled and demanding environment in which Chinese automakers can confront the next phase of global competition—one in which success will depend less on the vehicles themselves than on everything that follows the sale.
For more than a decade, Chinese EV manufacturers have built their competitiveness primarily on product. Rapid iteration, cost control, battery innovation, and increasingly sophisticated software have allowed them to outperform many global rivals on price-to-performance metrics. That model has proven highly effective in China's domestic market and in parts of the developing world. However, in mature markets, product advantages alone are no longer sufficient. As EVs become less novel and more normalized, competition shifts toward reliability, service, and user experience over the full lifecycle of ownership.
Canada brings this reality into sharp focus. Its cold climate exposes persistent weaknesses in EV adoption, from winter range anxiety to charging efficiency and battery degradation. These challenges are well known, and Chinese automakers are not unique in facing them. What distinguishes Canada is that it offers real-world conditions under which such issues are not theoretical but daily concerns for consumers. Vehicles that perform reliably through Canadian winters gain credibility not because of marketing claims, but because of lived experience. In this sense, Canada functions less as a sales opportunity than as a proving ground.
This is particularly relevant as Chinese firms look toward the next generation of battery technologies, including solid-state batteries and improved thermal management systems. While breakthroughs in energy density and safety are often discussed in abstract terms, their true value will be judged in markets where environmental stress tests are unavoidable. Canada offers an opportunity to validate whether these technological advances translate into meaningful improvements in everyday use. However, technological validation alone will not secure long-term acceptance.
People visit the Canadian International AutoShow at Metro Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, on February 21, 2025. (Photo: CFP)
The more decisive test lies in after-sales service and customer support. In markets like Canada, consumers expect not only reliable vehicles but also transparent warranties, responsive service networks, and consistent compliance with regulatory and consumer-protection standards. These expectations shape purchasing decisions as much as vehicle specifications. For Chinese EV brands, meeting them requires a shift in mindset. After-sales service cannot be treated as an auxiliary function or deferred investment; it must be integrated into market entry strategies from the outset.
This shift is not trivial. Service networks require trained personnel, localized supply chains, and organizational structures capable of responding across large geographies and time zones. They also require patience. Unlike product development, which can be accelerated through capital and scale, trust built through service is cumulative and slow to recover once lost. For Chinese automakers accustomed to competing primarily on hardware and pricing, this represents a new dimension of competition—one that cannot be solved through engineering alone.
Canada also highlights the importance of adapting to local institutional environments. Differences across provinces in infrastructure planning, incentive schemes, and regulatory oversight mean that market entry demands sustained engagement beyond federal policy announcements. Chinese firms with experience navigating complex regulatory systems at home may find themselves better prepared than expected, but success will still depend on their willingness to invest in long-term relationships with local stakeholders, including governments, utilities, and service providers.
Shipping containers are stacked at the Port of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on August 1, 2025. (Photo: CFP)
Seen in this light, the Canadian EV opening is best understood as an opportunity to recalibrate rather than expand. It allows Chinese automakers to test whether their global strategies are mature enough to support a long-term presence in developed markets. It provides feedback on how well their products integrate into daily life under demanding conditions. And it exposes whether their organizational capabilities—from customer service to regulatory compliance—are ready for competition beyond price.
Overemphasizing the deal itself risks missing this larger point. Market access, especially when limited in scale, does not guarantee market acceptance. Nor does it resolve the broader political uncertainties that continue to shape North American trade. What it does offer is time and space—time to learn, and space to adapt.
For Chinese EV companies, the strategic value of Canada lies precisely in this window. If used well, it can help shift competition away from a narrow focus on product specifications toward a more sustainable model built on service quality, customer experience, and institutional integration. If used poorly, it will remain a brief episode, remembered more for its symbolism than its impact.
In that sense, Canada's EV opening is not a verdict on the future of Chinese EVs in North America. It is a test—one that will be decided not by tariffs or quotas, but by how seriously Chinese automakers treat the less visible, but ultimately more decisive, dimensions of global competition.
*The article is written by Alan Zhang, Research Associate & Manager, Trade 'n Technology Program, Institute for China-America Studies
