Industry Minister Mélanie Joly is threatening automaker Stellantis with legal action if the company disregards its funding agreement with Ottawa and proceeds with its plan to manufacture midsize Jeeps in the United States rather than in Ontario.
The move comes a day after Stellantis announced it will shift production of the Jeep Compass from the Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario to Belvidere, Illinois, as part of a US$13 billion investment in the company’s manufacturing operations south of the border. The move will impact some 3,000 jobs in Brampton.
Joly sent a letter on Oct. 15 to Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa that accuses the company of reneging on its commitments to the Canadian and Ontario governments to “maintain its full Canadian footprint” in return for substantial financial subsidies….