Ottawa (Canada), October 4, 2026, BNN Web Staff: Canada’s decision to sharply lower tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) has sparked concerns over national security, cybersecurity and the handling of sensitive data, according to a report by The Epoch Times.
Ottawa has reduced the tariff on Chinese electric vehicles from 100 per cent to 6.1 per cent under a broader trade arrangement with Beijing. In return, China has lowered duties on Canadian canola imports.
The agreement initially allows up to 49,000 Chinese-made EVs to enter the Canadian market each year at the reduced tariff rate, with the quota expected to rise in subsequent years, the report said.
The potential security implications of the move were discussed during a 90-minute panel, titled “Cheap Cars, High Costs: The Security Reality of China’s EVs”, organised by the Ottawa-based Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a China expert and senior fellow at the University of Ottawa, raised concerns about the amount of information that connected vehicles can collect through cameras, microphones, navigation systems and other sensors.
According to The Epoch Times, she said such vehicles could pose security concerns if data collected in Canada were transmitted outside the country. She also warned that information gathered by connected vehicles could potentially provide detailed insights into roads and infrastructure.
The report also referred to a January 2025 assessment by the US Department of Energy, which examined cybersecurity vulnerabilities linked to electric vehicles connected to power grids.
The debate comes amid growing international scrutiny of the security risks associated with connected vehicles, particularly those manufactured by Chinese companies. Policymakers are increasingly examining how vehicle software, data collection and connectivity could affect critical infrastructure and national security.
Chinese EVs could offer Canadian consumers more affordable electric mobility options, but the concerns raised by experts underline the challenge of balancing lower vehicle costs and the expansion of EV adoption with data protection and cybersecurity safeguards.
