Stellantis is shifting Jeep Compass production from a plant in Brampton to Illinois after initially pausing the retooling of the plant back in February.
The world’s fourth-largest carmaker announced Tuesday a plan to invest $13 billion over the next four years to expand its manufacturing capacity in the United States.
The move would increase their domestic vehicle production by 50 per cent and add more than 5,000 jobs.
Unifor confirmed that includes the shift of Jeep production slated for the Brampton Assembly Plant to the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois.
Back in February, Stellantis paused production of its next-generation electrified Jeep Compass SUV in Brampton, citing the current “dynamic environment” as part of the reassessment of its product strategy in North America.
The decision was made after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian-made vehicles imported into the U.S.
Unifor Local 1285, which represents workers at the Brampton Assembly Plant, said their concerns on the security of Canadian auto jobs were driven home with Tuesday’s announcement.
“Stellantis made a commitment to Brampton autoworkers, to our federal and provincial governments, to our communities, and to this country,” said President Vito Beato. “We intend to hold Stellantis to everything it promised.”
“Saving Brampton Assembly must now be this country’s top priority, sending a strong message to any corporation thinking they can take the same egregious actions,” added Unifor National President Lana Payne in a release.
Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to the news saying they are working with the Ontario government and Unifor to develop the right measures to protect Stellantis employees and create new opportunities for them.
“We have further made clear that we expect Stellantis to fulfill the undertakings they have made to the workers of Brampton,” read Carney’s statement.
He added the decision made by Stellantis was a “direct consequence of current U.S. tariffs and potential future U.S. trade actions.”
“Until a more certain trade environment for the North American auto sector is established through the upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), decisions on new investments in the auto sector will continue to be affected,” read his statement.
Stellantis’ operations in the U.S. include 34 manufacturing plants, parts distribution centers and research and development sites across 14 states.
Of the 16 million cars Stellantis produces for sale in the U.S. market, 8 million are made in domestic plants, and another 4 million in Canada and Mexico — all with a large number of U.S. components. Another 4 million are imported from Europe and Asia, with virtually no U.S. components.
Stellantis was created following the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France’s Group PSA back in 2021.
