Auto industry leader’s call for action against tariffs

Automotive Parts Manufacturers Assoc highlights the growing and ongoing threat of tariffs on the sector. CTV Windsor’s Stefanie Masotti reports.

A leading voice in Canada’s auto industry calling for all Canadians affected by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs to publicly share your struggle.

“You must speak up,” said Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA).

Volpe spoke at the University of Windsor in front of business leaders, government officials and educators from across Ontario. He is encouraging them to speak publicly about the impact of tariffs, not just with colleagues but family, friends and the media.

Volpe encourages those talks to involve math and science, as the basis of any successful business.

“You can’t hurt Ontario without landing the same punch on Ohio and Illinois and Michigan,” he used as an example.

Flavio also described his American counterparts as too ‘quiet’.

“They don’t want to upset the administration. You don’t want to be targeted,” he said.

“Don’t shut up. Don’t stop talking about what’s going on,” said Reta Youhana, recruitment manager, E3works. “Be loud and clear about how you’re feeling. Be vocal.”

She was one of dozens who listened to Flavio talk on Wednesday.

“Another thing he said that really stuck out to me is just because you don’t trust someone doesn’t mean we can’t do business with them,” she said. “We all have the same interests. We all have the same goal. We all want what’s best for the automotive sector, regardless of how we approach it.”

The Canadian Association of World Makers (CAMM) and Automate Canada told CTV News they are doing what they can to spread the word by sharing members’ stories through avenues like social media.

“The past few years has been an uphill battle. This is just one more thing to kind of knock them down,” said Nicole Vlanich, executive director. “They’ve been experiencing challenge after challenge.”

She says Windsor-Essex is the largest centralized hub of mold makers and that Ontario houses four of the five largest mold makers in the world.

“Molds have to be bought from Ontario right now.. It’s not something that can just be picked up and done overnight anywhere else,” she added. “It will take many, many years for them to be able to even try to catch up.”