Lotus Ships EVs to Canada
Lotus plans to ship EVs to Canada starting in July, becoming the first Chinese-owned, China-built EV brand to enter under Canada's new quota
Geely-owned Lotus EVs made in China are expected to land in Canada in July, making Lotus the first Chinese-owned, China-built EV brand to enter under Canada’s new 49,000-unit annual quota at a 6.1% tariff.
That follows the January 2026 Carney-Xi trade reset and is broadly in line with expectations that Lotus would move first because it had Canadian dealer/certification readiness, while BYD and Chery were still expected later.
The significance is modest for volume—Lotus is luxury and low-unit—but important as a proof point that Canada’s China EV opening is becoming real, despite U.S. criticism and lingering Canada-China tariff uncertainty on agriculture.