After a turbulent week, auto industry takes a breath as tariffs paused — for now

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WINDSOR, ONT. AND TORONTO — Canadian auto workers and the industry are catching their breath after a roller-coaster week that saw crushing tariffs imposed, then paused, as they wait for the next round of threats.

Mohammad Thraya, who works at Stellantis’ Windsor Assembly Plant, says the mood in the plant is changing daily but there’s a little less anxiety with the pause.

The U.S. Trump administration announced Thursday, just two days after imposing sweeping tariffs, that it was exempting the auto sector until April 2.

Thraya says he’s optimistic the industry will dodge the worst of it, but if it is hit by more tariffs both the plant and the wider Windsor community would be hit hard.

Jose Velasquez, who also works at the plant, says even a slowdown in production could mean layoffs, hitting younger workers with families and mortgages especially hard.

And while the industry has secured a temporary reprieve from broader tariffs, it still faces a hit from more scheduled to come in next week on steel and aluminum, and the uncertainty of what else might be coming.