Stellantis Halts Work At Ontario Plant Amid U.S. Tariff Threats

Stellantis (STLA), one of the top three North American automakers, has stopped work on its assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario outside Toronto. Unifor, the union representing Canadian autoworkers, says it is concerned by Stellantis' unexpected announcement that it is halting work at the Brampton Assembly Plant.The automaker, which is behind the Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep brands, had been retooling the assembly plant to make both electric and gas Jeep Compass vehicles starting later this year.But now, Stellantis has ordered that all work to retool the assembly plant be stopped until further notice. Unifor says Stellantis has reassured the union that production plans are still in place for the Brampton plant.However, the union says it is worried about the timing of the pause coming as it does with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to impose 25% tariffs on auto imports starting April 2.Unifor says the threat of tariffs and the repeal of electric vehicle initiatives are creating chaos in the North American auto industry that spans Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.Stellantis has not commented publicly about the work stoppage at the Ontario assembly plant.The Brampton plant, which has been down for renovations and retooling since early 2024, previously had about 3,000 employees working at it. The stock of Stellantis has declined 45% over the last 12 months to trade at $14.11 U.S. per share.