One of the largest automakers in the world, Stellantis, is poised to remove 1,500 jobs from Canada and bring them back to Illinois—only two days after Trump took office.
The automaker also announced plans to increase production across the U.S., a move that could help resolve ongoing disputes with the United Automobile Workers (UAW) union, the sixth-largest union in America.
The Belvidere plant, located in a small town of 25,000 people just 30 minutes outside Rockford, Illinois, is expected to provide a significant boost to the local economy.
This shift comes as more than a dozen auto parts companies have shuttered plants in Canada, leaving thousands of workers unemployed.
Meanwhile, last year, the federal Liberals announced a massive investment in an EV battery plant but did not disclose how many of the new jobs would go to Canadian workers.
With Trump set to impose tariffs on Canada starting February 1, cross-border auto manufacturing could become more expensive, further incentivizing automakers to shift jobs to the U.S.—a key Trump campaign promise.
