No Canadian jobs transferred as Stellantis plans US plant reopening
"Stellantis, the owner of the Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge auto brands, has announced that it is moving 1,500 jobs from Canada back to Illinois," claims a January 22, 2025 X post from Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who has previously spread misleading claims fact-checked by AFP.
The post appears to include a Bloomberg report (archived here) on Stellantis reopening its Belvidere Assembly Plant and opening up 1,500 jobs in Illinois, where one of the hosts says the company is "pulling their production down from Canada into the U.S."
Other users on Facebook and X spread the claim that the announcement from the automaker meant that positions were being transferred to the United States out of Canada -- often alleging jobs in Windsor, Ontario would specifically be threatened.
The posts come after Trump told global business leaders he wants manufacturers to make their products in the United States or face hefty tariffs if they sell to Americans.
The North American auto industry relies on production from both sides of the Canada-US border and manufacturers and the Canadian government are bracing for how Trump's proposed tariffs on the northern country's exports could impact the sector.
Stellantis, which is headquartered in the Netherlands and owns Fiat, Peugeot and other nameplates, operates three assembly plants in Canada in the Ontario towns of Windsor, Brampton and Etobioke (archived here).
However, claims that Stellantis would be diverting production from Canada to the United States are "completely false," Stellantis Canada spokeswoman LouAnn Gosselin said.
"All of the investments Stellantis has made in Canada are on track," she told AFP in a January 28 email. "Nothing has changed for Canada."
Some claimed the Belvidere announcement also would mean a halt on construction of a new battery plant in Windsor, but Gosselin said it would not impact the facility, which started production last year.
AFP could not locate the original clip on Bloomberg's website where one of the hosts appeared to say production would be pulled down from Canada. However, video archives for the Bloomberg show "Open Interest" reveal reporters clarified on January 24 that the announcement about the Belvidere plant would not be affecting current Canadian manufacturing work or jobs (archived here).
At the end of 2024, there was speculation that the Dodge Durango would be phased out and its replacement model could be built in Windsor, according to local media.
The uncertainty about the vehicle's production in the United States prompted a rift between Stellantis and the United Auto Workers (UAW). The union representing American autoworkers alleged the company was neglecting its commitments under its 2023 contract which made promises about Durango production in the United States and the reopening of the Belvidere plant (archived here).
In a January 22, 2025 press release, the UAW said the Belvidere plant would reopen in 2027 and the next generation Durango would be produced in Detroit (archived here).
Unifor, the union representing Canadian Stellantis workers, told AFP there had been no change in plans for Stellantis facilities in Canada as a result of the US announcements. Unifor's national president, Lana Payne, said it was still expecting a third shift at the Windsor assembly plant to arrive on schedule in the year's final quarter.
"Of course, Unifor remains concerned about what a threatened 25 percent tariff would mean for the auto industry, including Canadian jobs and future investment," Payne said in a January 28, 2025 email.
Read more of AFP's reporting on misinformation in Canada here.
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