OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is scheduled to be in Detroit today where he says he will advocate for tariff-free trade, with a focus on the auto sector. Poilievre is scheduled to hold a press conference in Windsor, Ont., before crossing the river to Detroit where he is scheduled to meet with business leaders and do American interviews. The trade war is a central piece in the U.S. midterm election race in Michigan, the heart the of the U.S. auto industry. Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers released a video last week saying “Canada is not our enemy” despite previous support for the tariffs. In a debate last week with his Democratic opponent Abdul El-Sayed, Rogers said he wants to see a deal made with Canada and the current tariffs are too high. The U.S currently has a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian autos, which President Donald Trump has threatened to increase to 50 per cent on Jan. 1 in response to Canada’s counter-tariffs. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2026. David Baxter, The Canadian Press
