Reagan Tariffs Led to Japanese Auto Plants in Ontario

An Ontario government anti-tariff ad narrated by Ronald Reagan is gaining attention after Donald Trump cited it to halt U.S.-Canada trade talks, yet it overlooks how Reagan’s protectionism fostered a network of Japanese auto plants in Ontario. Following Reagan’s 1981 deal limiting Japanese car exports to the U.S., Honda opened its first Canadian plant in Alliston in 1984, leading to a robust presence of Japanese manufacturers that now supports around 30,000 jobs in the region.

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