Canada recorded no imports of China-built electric vehicles in October under its new tariff-rate quota. Global Affairs Canada's utilization report, updated on Oct. 30, shows a zero for the month even though 32,794 spots remain.

The quota

  • The quota started on March 1, 2026. It lets up to 49,000 China-built EVs a year enter Canada at the 6.1% most-favoured-nation tariff.
  • 16,206 spots have been used so far, about a third of the total.
  • The quota year ends Feb. 28, 2027.

September revised up

The latest report revises September from 328 vehicles to 603. Drive Tesla Canada reports that 443 were non-plug-in hybrid SUVs priced above $35,000 and 160 were battery-electric cars, just seven of them at or below $35,000. The revision cut the remaining quota from 33,069 to 32,794.

Tesla

The government doesn't publish figures by automaker, but Drive Tesla Canada says Tesla is believed to account for most of the quota used so far. Earlier in October, Tesla stopped taking orders for the Shanghai-built Model 3 Premium RWD and AWD in Canada, saying it had used up its import allocation. Its website now lets buyers sign up for updates. The cars aren't expected to be available again until at least March 2027, when the next quota year starts.

That leaves an odd picture: Tesla says it has hit its limit, while two-thirds of the country's overall quota sits unused.