Mazda Motor Corporation has declared that it will temporarily halt exports of its U.S.-manufactured CX-50 compact SUVs to Canada beginning May 12. The decision comes as a response to the mounting financial pressures caused by the 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts introduced by President Donald Trump. The development serves as a reflection of challenges faced by automakers in adapting to shifting trade policies.
The suspension impacts approximately 12.2% of production at Mazda’s Huntsville, Alabama facility—a joint venture with Toyota.
The Production of the CX-50 for the U.S. and other international markets will remain unaffected. In 2024, the CX-50 represented approximately 15% of Mazda’s total Canadian vehicle sales, recording around 72,000 passenger vehicle sales in Canada.
Mazda dealerships throughout Canada currently have a limited stock of CX-50s available. Once the inventory is sold out, no additional shipments will be sent to restock the supply. A Toyota Canada spokesperson told Driving.ca that although the Corolla Cross is produced in the same facility as the CX-50, the company currently has no updates regarding the production or availability of the Corolla Cross.
Starting in May, the company has not revealed how long the suspension will last. Christopher Richter, a senior analyst at CLSA Securities Japan, estimates that Trump’s tariffs could drive up U.S. passenger car prices by more than 14%.
The removal of the CX-50 from the Canadian market will create a considerable void between the older CX-5 and the larger CX-70 within Mazda’s lineup in Canada. All CX-50s for Western markets are produced at the Huntsville facility, while a version designed specifically for the Chinese market is built in Nanjing.
In the previous year, the Huntsville plant produced over 88,336 CX-50 units, with the majority being sold in the United States.
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