Stellantis vowed to fill Brampton plant with new auto model: Carney

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the global head of Stellantis told him the automaker is looking at finding a new model to fill the idled Brampton, Ont. plant, but that a decision won’t be coming quickly.

Speaking to reporters in Toronto, Carney said Stellantis told him that a decision on producing a vehicle in Brampton would be dependent on the finalization of a renewed free trade deal with the United States.

Carney’s comments come two days after Stellantis said that it would move its Jeep Compass production, and the more than 3,000 jobs that come with it, to Illinois rather than the Brampton plant.

Carney says he expressed “disappointment” with Stellantis over its decision to move the long-planned Jeep production from Ontario.

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On Wednesday, Industry Minister Melanie Joly expressed her “extreme concern” about the move in a letter to the company where she threatened legal action if it doesn’t meet commitments it made to federal government for funding.

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Carney said Thursday that there are potential consequences for the company if it doesn’t meet its obligations that include keeping the Brampton plant.

“There is exposure of the company if they were not to follow through with those commitments for Brampton, restarting Brampton,” said Carney.

“I reminded the global CEO of those undertakings.”

Carney said that along with assurances that the company is looking at another model being produced in Brampton, the CEO told him support would be provided for workers.

Stellantis shut the Brampton plant at the end of 2023 to prepare for the new vehicle. The company halted that work in February as U.S. President Donald Trump rolled out tariffs aimed at bringing more production into the United States.

The automaker announced the move of production of the Jeep model as part of a US$13-billion investment that will see it boost U.S. production by 50 per cent over the next four years.