Tesla Halts Model 3 Premium Orders in Canada, Cites China Import Quotas

Tesla has announced a halt to new orders for its Model 3 Premium electric vehicles in Canada, citing the exhaustion of import quotas for vehicles manufactured in China. The company anticipates that order intake will not resume until March 2027.

The suspension affects both the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of the Model 3 Premium, both produced at Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory. However, data released by the Canadian government suggests that a significant portion of the import quota for China-made electric vehicles remains unused. Tesla has not provided specific details regarding the allocation of quotas or the reasons for the premature order suspension.

Canada implemented an annual import quota of 49,000 vehicles for Chinese-made electric cars starting in March of this year. Vehicles imported within this quota benefit from a reduced tariff rate of 6.1%, down from a previous 100%. Official government figures indicate that a substantial number of these quota slots remain available.

Tesla had previously shifted the production of its Model 3 rear-wheel-drive variant to its Shanghai facility earlier this year, which led to a price reduction in Canada. The current suspension of orders means Canadian consumers can no longer order these specific Premium configurations through the company's website, with availability expected to return in 2027.