SKEENA REGION, B.C. – A major financial crisis hitting the company that builds Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs could soon be felt on dealership lots in Terrace, Kitimat, and across the Skeena, as U.S. auto tariffs threaten to drive up the price of new vehicles.
The automaker, Stellantis, announced a staggering $3.7 billion loss for the first half of 2025. The company directly blames a $480 million blow from U.S. President Donald Trump’s auto tariffs, which make it more expensive to build vehicles in Canada and ship them to the American market.
While the most immediate impact is in Southern Ontario, where 3,000 auto workers at the idled Brampton assembly plant are anxiously waiting to hear if they still have jobs, experts warn the financial pressure on the company will likely be passed on to Canadian consumers.
What It Means for Vehicle Buyers in the North
When automakers are squeezed by tariffs, they often pass those costs on through higher sticker prices and by offering fewer incentives like rebates or low-interest financing.
This means that popular vehicles in Northern B.C., such as the Ram 1500 truck and the Jeep Compass or Grand Cherokee SUVs, could become more expensive in the coming months.
Stellantis was already struggling with a 25 per cent drop in North American shipments before the full impact of the tariffs was felt. The company’s Chief Financial Officer warned the total hit for the year could reach as much as $2.4 billion.
The news has left the Canadian auto industry in a state of uncertainty. A massive $1.3 billion retooling of the Brampton plant to build the next-generation Jeep Compass was suddenly paused in February. Workers, who were supposed to return to their jobs by the end of the year, now fear the plant could remain empty well into 2026, if not longer.
For now, while the job losses are concentrated thousands of kilometres away, the financial ripple effects of this international trade dispute could soon be hitting the wallets of anyone in the Skeena looking to buy a new truck.
