Jack Lifton Warns Tariffs Could Devastate Auto Sector, Urges Immediate U.S.-Canada Partnership on Critical Minerals

March 10, 2025 — Jack Lifton, Co-Chair of the Critical Minerals Institute (CMI), delivered a sharp critique of proposed U.S.-Canada tariffs, emphasizing their potentially catastrophic impact on Michigan, Canada’s largest global trading partner. Lifton detailed how Michigan alone receives approximately 1.2 million vehicles annually from Canada, representing “$50 to $100 billion of revenue” for American auto dealers. He warned that imposing a 25% tariff would significantly escalate costs, explaining, “The impact of a tariff on automobiles and automobile parts from Canada on Michigan is, quite frankly, devastating.” Lifton characterized the tariff proposal as poorly conceived, stating bluntly, “President Trump uses a meat ax rather than a scalpel in his economic surgery.”

Instead, Lifton advocated deepening economic ties, highlighting Canada’s untapped potential in critical minerals vital to advanced technology, particularly for industries like semiconductors and AI. He argued passionately for increased investment, stating, “Canada is the easiest and most available solution to all of the problems of high tech in the United States,” stressing the importance of developing Canadian resources rather than pursuing minerals in geopolitically unstable or uneconomic regions. He underscored a critical oversight in U.S. policy, urging immediate recognition that Canada’s abundant resources represent the clearest and most practical answer to America’s critical mineral needs.

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