‘Remain agile’: General Motors president touches on U.S. trade negotiations, emissions mandate while in Calgary

The head of General Motors Canada is sharing plans to rev the company's presence. It comes on the heels of a meeting with the PM to talk trade war.

The president of General Motors Canada is in Calgary on the heels of meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney this week amid the trade war with the United States.

Kristian Aquilina is in the city for the company’s partnership with the Calgary Stampede.

He spoke on a panel Thursday about the future of mobility in Canada – one that remains uncertain amid the ongoing tariff discussions with the U.S.

“Uncertainty also brings opportunity,” said Aquilina ahead of the panel to CTV. “We have to remain agile to whatever eventuates here.”

Aquilina joined other leaders in the auto industry Wednesday in Ottawa to meet with Carney, with a focus on protecting Canadian supply chains.

It comes in response to U.S. President Donald Trump imposing 25 per cent tariffs on vehicles manufactured in Canada but includes a carve out for components built in the states.

Aquilina wouldn’t share details of the discussions with the prime minister but shared an attitude of optimism.

“We shared the views of our industry, and he has that in order to negotiate in the best way for all of Canada so we wish him well,” he said. “We’ll see how that pans out but at this stage we’re focused on delivering for what we know today.”

Zero-emission rebate

Among the views shared with Carney is executives efforts to have Ottawa ditch its zero-emission vehicle rebate.

By next year, 20 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in Canada must be either battery powered or hybrid.

Aquilina said getting rid of the mandate wouldn’t change GM’s commitment to developing electric vehicles.

“An EV mandate that’s currently in effect that determines or tries to pick the technology that consumers ought to have in their driveways isn’t necessarily the right way to go about it,” he said. “We’re investing heavily in electrification -- we have 13 EVs available for customers and we would prefer our technology path here is driven by the customer rather than a made-up mandate.”

Ottawa hasn’t revealed its plans for the mandate or the trade discussions which picked back up with Trump after he pulled out over Canada’s digital service tax on multinational tech firms – which was called off over the weekend.

Despite the challenges facing the industry, Aquilina said GM has seen unprecedented growth among buyers.

“Here in Calgary we’re in double digit category for growth,” he said.

He looks forward to policy resolutions, so it no longer overshadows other developments happening in the industry, such as the technology to improve self-driving vehicles.

“We’re focused on the innovation and development in our industry. Our industry is in the headlines for all sorts of reasons, but really what has been missed is the opportunities that are available for all of Canada once we identify the big technological shifts that are happening in our industry,” he said. “What is being overshadowed is that there is a big technology here in this industry.”