Envoy to Mexico says Trump ‘unrealistic’ on building U.S. cars without Canadian parts

Vehicles approach the United States border crossing as seen from Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., Thursday, April 10, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

OTTAWA — Canada’s ambassador to Mexico says U.S. President Donald Trump has “unrealistic” expectations about going it alone to build vehicles without North American inputs.

Cameron MacKay tells the Senate foreign-affairs committee that “it’s simply not possible for the United States to make cars all by itself, in the near term.”

The Trump administration has repeatedly said it wants to manufacture vehicles with few foreign parts, and Trump told Prime Minister Mark Carney that Americans “don’t want to buy cars that are made in Canada.”

While the U.S. has levied tariffs on various vehicles and components, MacKay says there are still parts American companies need they can only get from Canada as well as Mexico.

He says there could be “considerable alignment” between the Canadian and Mexican negotiating positions on the issue, in the looming review of the North American deal.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he has full confidence in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s negotiations with the U.S., noting the delicate nature of negotiating with the American president.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press