‘Shooting yourself in the right foot’: Sask. car dealers push back against 25% retaliatory auto tariffs 

WATCH: A group representing Saskatchewan car dealers is standing against Canada's move to impose retaliatory auto tariffs.

A group representing Saskatchewan car dealers is standing against Canada’s move to impose retaliatory auto tariffs.

In a call to the Prime Minister’s office on Thursday afternoon, the Saskatchewan Automobile Dealers Association (SADA), alongside the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association, voiced its concern about escalating trade conflict potentially driving up car prices.

“We’re working alongside the Canadian Auto Dealers Association in a call with the Prime Minister’s office,” Larry Heggs, executive director of SADA, told CTV News.

Canada is matching U.S. auto tariffs — imposing a 25 per cent tariff on all American-made vehicles not protected by free trade agreements.

“Matching the tariffs doesn’t help anything,” Heggs said.

“It’s the equivalent of having the U.S. government shoot you in your left foot and then immediately taking out your gun and shooting yourself in the right foot, because all you’ve done is raise the cost that much more for the consumers.”

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Tristan Mariano, the general sales manager of CARGET, a used vehicle dealership in Saskatoon, expects all car prices — new and used — to rise amid the auto trade war.

“New car prices are going to go up, which means you’re not going to go out there and buy a brand new car. You’re going to look into a used car. Which means the demand for the used cars is going to go up and prices are going to go up,” Mariano told CTV News.

The sales manager is advising shoppers to buy now, before possible market changes take effect.

SADA said there is some good news for Saskatchewan’s car industry: inventory is high — offsetting any potential price increases as a result of the trade war.