Elon Musk's Tesla Could Import Model Y Into Canada Via Berlin As Trudeau, Trump Amp Up The Trade War With Tariffs And Counter Tariffs, Says Researcher

Tesla Inc TSLA researcher Troy Teslike now expects Tesla to start shipping Model Ys from its gigafactory in Berlin after Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on imports from the U.S.

What Happened: According to Teslike, Tesla will now ship Model Y into Canada from Berlin instead of the U.S. or Shanghai as tariffs on importing from both regions will be high.

As per the researcher’s estimates, Tesla sold 48,000 cars in Canada in 2024, of which 11,000 came from China. After Canada increased tariffs on China-made EVs to 100%, the company stopped shipping cars from there.

Similarly, Tesla will now stop importing from the U.S. in light of the retaliatory tariffs announced by Canada, he said, leaving the company to import from its factory in Berlin instead.

President Donald Trump’s trade war with Mexico, Canada, and China, however, will likely not impact the company’s battery supply, Teslike said. However, were Trump to start a trade war with Japan, Tesla’s Model S and X production in the U.S. will likely be impacted as they use cells imported from Japan, Teslike said.

Why It Matters: Canada over the weekend announced 25% tariffs on a slew of imports after U.S. President Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and 10% on goods from China.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau subsequently announced 25% tariffs on C$30 billion (approx. $20.45 billion) in goods imported from the U.S. The retaliatory tariffs, which will be effective Feb. 4, will remain in place until the U.S. eliminates its tariffs against Canada, the government said.

Tariffs will also be imposed on C$125 billion goods in another 21 days, Trudeau said, which is likely to include electric vehicles manufactured in America.

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