Chrysler Reportedly Asking For $700 Million From Canadian Government

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

With Canada’s federal government set to increase its own Auto Innovation Fund by $500 million CAD, a report by The Globe and Mail’s Greg Keenan now claims that Chrysler will look for as much as $700 million in government funding as part of a $2.3 billion investment in its Windsor, Ontario manufacturing facilities. In addition, the increased sum would also see funds allocated to the Brampton, Ontario plant that builds the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger

Together, the two plants employ about 8,000 people directly, and a recent Canada-E.U. free trade agreement could allow for Chrysler to export vehicles to Europe easier than it could from a U.S. plant. There are also political concerns regarding the optics of the current Ontario and federal governments failing to secure the direct and indirect manufacturing jobs in a vote-rich region that has been hit hard by other plant closures. On the other hand, the optics of coughing up that much money in the current economic climate is scarcely better.

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

More by Derek Kreindler

Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 43 comments
Next