The Stellantis Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario. (Laura Proctor/Bloomberg) February 12, 2026 1:41 PM, EST Stellantis NV is currently negotiating with the Canadian government and the union regarding the future of its closed factory in Brampton, Ontario, as stated by the automaker’s CEO for Canada. The company aims “to find a sustainable option for Brampton” after relocating production of the Jeep Compass SUV to the U. S., Stellantis Canada CEO Trevor Longley mentioned on BNN Bloomberg TV on Feb. 12. “The reality is that we want to build cars in Brampton. We’ve been making cars in Canada for 100 years and we want to continue making cars in Canada for the next 100,” he said during an interview at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto. “We are working proactively with our government,” as well as with Unifor, which represents workers at Brampton, he noted. “That means that we find solutions for the tariff situations that have been imposed.” Stellantis announced back in October that it was shifting production from Brampton to Illinois as part of a $13 billion investment strategy aimed at bolstering its U. S. operations and avoiding tariffs. This decision has impacted around 3,000 Canadian workers employed at the plant. Following this move, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration reduced the number of U. S.-made vehicles that Stellantis can import without incurring counter-tariffs. Carney enacted these retaliatory tariffs last year due to Trump’s tariff measures but made exceptions for companies that continue producing and investing in Canada. Longley mentioned that they are still considering potential products for their factory’s future. Industry Minister Melanie Joly has threatened legal action against Stellantis concerning this production shift and is committed to recovering Canadian taxpayer money that had supported financial aid to the company. Last week, Carney introduced his government’s new automotive strategy aimed at safeguarding and attracting investments from car manufacturers. The plan includes revamping the tariff remission program so that manufacturers building vehicles in Canada can earn import credits. These credits would allow them to bring vehicles from the U. S. without tariffs and could be traded among other companies. Transport Topics reporters Eugene Mulero and Keiron Greenhalgh explore key trends expected to shape freight transportation over the coming year. Tune in above or visit Road Signs. ttnews. com. Longley expressed that more details on this plan are required before assessing it but believes “anything that protects Canadian industry and Canadian auto production, I think is a positive move.” “For many years, it’s been more cost-effective to import cars into Canada than it is to make them here, and obviously we’ve been heavily invested in this country and we want to make sure that we can continue to do that well into the future,” he added. The Stellantis executive also commented on Carney’s agreement with China, which will permit 49,000 electric vehicles into Canada with a lowered tariff rate of 6.1%. Longley remarked while allowing more competition is beneficial; he’s concerned about whether Canada competes fairly against a non-market economy like China.
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