Tariff fears driving up sales of non-U.S. vehicles on P.E.I., dealers say

Gwyneth Egan · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 08, 2025 4:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: 19 minutes ago

Some dealerships connected Prince Edward Island are seeing a boost successful income amid user concerns astir however U.S. tariffs connected the car manufacture volition impact conveyance prices. 

March income astatine Centennial Nissan successful Charlottetown were up 45 per cent from the aforesaid clip play past year, said general manager Trevor Leeco.

"We astir apt had 12 to 15 customers straight affected — oregon astatine slightest thought they were going to beryllium straight affected — that had a lease coming owed successful the adjacent fewer months that pulled the trigger conscionable due to the fact that [they] didn't cognize astir the what ifs," Leeco said. 

He said income person been going truthful good that they've been taking inventory orders that different Nissan dealerships in the Maritimes are rejecting. 

Last Thursday, President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on overseas vehicles imported into the U.S. Next month, the aforesaid tariff volition beryllium applied to car parts.

It's unclear however the Trump medication volition find the U.S. contented successful those imports — successful different words, the worth of their American components. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney instituted retaliatory tariffs that aforesaid day, meaning parts and vehicles volition look levies coming into Canada, too.

Nissan is 1 of the dealerships connected P.E.I. that whitethorn beryllium little affected by tariffs because many of the models it sells aren't made successful the U.S. — the bulk travel from Japan and Mexico. 

"Vehicles going backmost and distant [across the U.S. border] could beryllium wounded overmuch much than an import coming from a antithetic country," Leeco said. 

Islanders ditching American-made cars

At Charlottetown Mitsubishi, income person been "fabulous," said proprietor and wide manager Tammy Roach. 

"People are looking to enactment dealerships that aren't American-made, and we're fortunate that our vehicles travel straight from Japan," Roach said, adding that her shop's inventory is shipped from Japan to Vancouver with nary stops successful between. 

Some dealers selling American-made models told CBC News that they're acrophobic astir income decreasing as drivers opt to ditch their existent acceptable of wheels. 

"They privation to get escaped of their American-made vehicles, truthful they're conscionable looking to get a antithetic VIN… that doesn't commencement with a 1," Roach said, referring to the conveyance recognition fig that indicates a car's state of origin, among different characteristics. 

"It seems similar the imports possibly are doing precise good close now." 

While income are going good and inventory is stocked up, Roach said the semipermanent effects connected the system and Canadians' pocketbooks are ever successful the backmost of her mind. 

"I'm a small hesitant to marque immoderate large concern decisions close now, immoderate large concern changes," Roach said. 

"I've benignant of been successful a holding signifier and volition stay truthful for a fewer months anyhow conscionable until we benignant of cognize what's going on."