In the Vedzor’s Capital in Canada, car workers are fueled for the worst

Lawton worked in Canada’s car for more than a century.

Their children are “Ford Workers” of the fifth generation, ”said Catherine Lovtan, and she and her husband works at the car manufacturer in Windsor, the heart of the Canadian car, totaling Michigan US.

So when US President Donald Trump suggested that Canada stole an American The automotive industry, Chad Lawton calls it “inappropriate”.

“It has never been an American job. These were Canadian jobs,” he said in the BBC, on the day that Trump’s authors came into force.

“They were always Canadian works, and they are going to stay in Canadian work because we didn’t take them away. We created them, we supported them.”

Catherine agreed: “This is Ford City right here.”

Introduced into the southwestern Ontario, Windsor and the surrounding district, Essex has now appeared on one of Trump’s trade warfare because it is facing 25% of foreign cars (albeit Canada, which will be halved for cars made with 50% of US components or more).

US tariffs are expected next month.

The region has grown slightly over 422,000 along with Detroit – nicknamed Motor City for the role of automotive production – turning the region into an important car production center in North America.

Ford first created its presence in Windsor in 1896, and the first stellantis factory (then Christmas) arrived in 1928, and dozens of factories and suppliers emerged around the city and the surrounding region in the following decades.

Most of the production has since left the city, although it still boasts two Ford Engine factories and Stellantis plant, which operates thousands.

For decades, workers on both sides of the border have built significant vehicles, most recently models such as Dodge Charger and Ford F-150.

About 24,000 people work directly in the Windsor Automobile Industry, while 120,000 other jobs depend on the sector.

A trip around the neighborhood around Ford feels like a trip back in time, showing classic bungalows since the last century. Many have seen the best days, although everyone can boast a veranda and a small front yard. Big frescoes that celebrate the city history open the scenery.

Windsor has withstood the problems of the North American automotive sector together with Michigan when the industry shares a deeply integrated supply chain.

Chad Lawton points to the 2008 financial crisis when three great American automakers – Ford, General Motors and Chrysler – faced staggering losses and GM and Chrysler got billions in the US to avoid bankruptcy.

This period was “bad not only for the neighboring doors, but also we survived a very, very rude time,” he said.

“It feels the same. The level of anxiety with the workers, the level of fear, the idea and the belief that it is just what is so completely out of your control that you can’t wrap your head what to do.”

John D’Agnol, President of the Unifor Local 200, who represents Ford workers in Windsori, said the situation “created chaos”.

“I think we will see the recession,” he said.

He continued: “People are not going to buy anything. I have to say nothing to buy. They have to pay rent and food to their children.”

What makes tariffs such a solid pill to swallow the car workers with whom the BBC has addressed is that this situation has caused the United States, the closest economic ally in Canada.

“It seems like a knife in the back,” said Austin Weltsel, a 27 -year -old Stellantis team. “It’s almost like our neighbors, our friends – they don’t want to work with us.”

Christina Gross, who worked in Ford 25 years, said the prospect of losing work and what it would mean to her family is “horrible”.

But Ms Gross also fears the meaning she gets from her work.

“You have been doing this work for so long, and you are really proud of it, you are proud of what you teach to society,” she said. “And now someone takes the opportunity to do it.”

Laura Dawson, Executive Director of the Future Borders coalition, said tariffs could lead to large shocks throughout the sector of deep integration when the effects of pulsation are felt on the continent when exports from Canada stop for more than a week.

She said the US tariff structure is extremely complicated.

Cars crossing the border will need each component to evaluate for “qualification contents” – where it originates, the cost of work for its manufacture, and – if it contains steel or aluminum – where this metal.

“Each part of the car is literally under the microscope where it was made and how,” she said.

US tariffs have become a major factor in the Canadian general election, which is on April 28, when the Canada’s political parties deploy plaques on the company’s trail to help the car sector.

Liberal Mark Carney leader, the current Prime Minister, has pledged to create a $ 2 billion fund (1.4 billion dollars; 1.1 billion pounds) to enhance competitiveness and protection of production jobs, as well as plans to build a network of autonomous components “All-In-Canada”.

In his role, he introduced the Prime Minister last week, registered $ 35 billion in Counter Auto Tariffs, except for previously announced mutual measures in the United States.

Carney’s main competitor, Conservative leader Pierre Poylieu, has promised to delete the sale tax on Canadian cars, and create a fund for tariff companies to help keep their employees.

Jagmet Singh, whose left -wing new democratic party is fighting for a competitive place in Windsor, has pledged to use each dollar from tariffs per counter to help workers and stop manufacturers move to the US to the US.

However, Windsor’s economy depends on automakers and largely relies on trade with the United States. When it disappears, everything – from restaurants to charity organizations – will feel consequences.

A penalty box is a sports bar just on the way from the Stellantis plant and the popular workers.

“We are one of the busiest restaurants. I don’t want to talk, but if you ask about the penalty box, they will tell you,” said the 70-year-old Wang Nifaras. “We make almost 1000 meals a day.”

With a white apron and a wide smile, he connects his 33-year-old story. But his behavior is darkening when asking about the threats faced by the automatic sector.

“This is a devastating situation. I don’t want to think about it,” he said.

“We work with 60 people and we open six days a week.

Chad Lawton, sitting in his office in a local union, takes deeply when he reflects on how uncertain his life.

He does not believe that Carney’s tariffs help in the current situation, claiming that they “just make a really bad situation.”

He hopes there is a place for trading talks, but said he was the first to say that Canada “could not just yield and turn.”

“I worked for Ford Motor for almost 31 years and never seen anything close to it,” he said.

“This includes Covid because at least with Covid, we knew what we were dealing with. And there was certainty.”

“It’s all on the map.”