The head of the union representing Ford workers in Windsor is calling U.S. President Donald Trump's latest comments on the trade deal between Canada and the U.S. 'ridiculous.'
On Tuesday, Trump visited a Ford factory in Dearborn, Michigan, and dismissed the relevance of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, saying the U.S. doesn't need the trade deal and that "Canada would love it."
"The problem is we don't need their product. We don't need cars made in Canada, we don't need cars made in Mexico, we want to make them here," Trump said to reporters.
Trump said CUSMA has no "real advantage" for the U.S and is "irrelevant" to him.
Unifor Local 200 President John D'Agnolo says it's a ridiculous comment and it's only hurts both sides of the border because we are so connected when you think about all the parts and the work that's been done for years, and years, and years to make sure those vehicles are put together in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
"Because there's no way they'd be able to run, the company wouldn't be able to run," he says. "I think it's his typical tactics of trying to work out a better deal at the end of the day. Our government is going to have to stand strong and make sure they protect the jobs in Canada."
Workers at Windsor Engine produce the 7.3L V8 engine for Ford Super Duty pickups and commercial vehicles, while workers at Essex Engine produce the 5.0L V8 engine for the Mustang and the F-150, the best-selling truck in North America.
Engines made in Windsor and used in the F-150 are sent to the Ford assembly plant in Dearborn and in Missouri, while the engines in the Super Duty pickups are sent to an assembly plant in Kentucky.
D'Agnolo says that if a deal doesn't get signed, they will still be operating the same way.
"You have to remember; they can't just pick up plants and move them. That takes years and years and years. I believe that there will be a deal signed. I'm just hoping that the deal that is signed will protect Canadian jobs. That's what worries me most," he says.
But D'Agnolo says that statements like that from Trump scare people.
"When you get scared, you don't buy anything. It impacts not just the auto industry but the community, that's what worries me the most. When statements like that happen, it impacts Canadians because they get worried. They start putting money in the bank because they're worried, they might be laid off," he says.
The trade deal comes up for mandatory review this year with formal talks set in mid-January ahead of a July deadline.
While CUSMA has helped Canada avoid the widespread impacts of tariffs on the economy, the steel and aluminum, lumber and auto sectors have been hit hard by the measures imposed by Trump.