Top GM leadership remains optimistic about the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) while emphasizing the trade pact's importance to the automaker and the broader industry.
First things first: Jack Uppal, president of General Motors Canada, told Global News that the regional integration enabled by USMCA—known as CUSMA in Canada—has been critical to GM's bottom line and the North American auto industry.
GM finished the first half of 2026 as Canada's best-selling automaker, capturing a 15.4% market share with 148,640 vehicles delivered.
The automaker also posted more than 30% year-over-year growth in EV sales in Canada.
Even in Alberta, where EV adoption remains among the lowest in the country, GM's EV sales climbed about 30%, according to Global News.
Why it matters: GM's strong performance in Canada underscores the importance of an integrated North American market to automakers' growth strategies, with cross-border trade stability remaining critical to inventory flow, pricing and long-term product availability.
OUTSMART THE CAR MARKET IN 5 MINUTES A WEEK
Get insights trusted by 55,000+ car dealers. Free, fast, and built for automotive leaders.
Between the lines: Uppal said he believes uncertainty surrounding the trade agreement will "sort itself out," while emphasizing the need to stay focused on serving Canadian customers.
One of the focuses involves meeting growing consumer demand for technology and connectivity.
The automaker is also prioritizing affordability as the industry navigates uncertainty surrounding tariffs.
What they’re saying: “We have to double down and really focus on ensuring that we’re delivering value across our product portfolio to our customers to dampen the noise that nobody can really change,” said Uppal, adding that many of GM’s values still align with Canadian consumers, despite the company shifting more production from Canada to the U.S.
Bottom line: While trade uncertainty continues to cloud the outlook for North American manufacturing, GM's strategy highlights that automakers remain focused on product value, affordability, and customer demand as they navigate an evolving trade landscape.
A quick word from our partner
Think fraud only happens once in a while? Think again.
Nine in ten dealers express concern about fraud, including costly issues such as fake income documents, synthetic identities, and trade-in scams.
That’s why more dealers are turning to Experian Automotive.
With faster, smarter identity, income, and trade-in ownership verification tools, you can help catch fraud without slowing down deals.
Protect your profits, streamline the deal, and stay one step ahead with Fraud Protect.
