Short version: U.S.-built vehicles went from about 35% of Canadian sales to about 28% in a year. Automakers moved where they source cars to avoid tariffs. Honda builds its two best sellers in Alliston, so a Civic or CR-V shopper isn't caught in this. If you want a Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline or Odyssey, it's worth knowing those are imported.
J.D. Power data reported by The Globe and Mail shows U.S.-made vehicles fell to 28.4% of Canadian sales in the first half of 2026, from 35.4% a year earlier. Mexican-built vehicles rose to 22.2%, Japanese-built to 16.6% and South Korean-built to 15.6%. Canadian-built slipped to 11.5%. The Globe says Canada still has 25% counter-tariffs on U.S. content, with a confidential carve-out for automakers that build cars in Ontario. Honda is one of the five. The Globe and Mail / J.D. Power
This is about sourcing, not taste
Canadians didn't suddenly stop liking American-built cars. DesRosiers told the Globe the drop is mostly automakers changing where they ship cars from to dodge tariffs. Some brands stopped sending certain U.S.-built models here at all.
That matters on the lot. When a model disappears or gets re-sourced, its price and its supply both get shaky. I'd rather a customer know that before they fall for a car than after.
Where Honda sits
The Civic and the CR-V are the bulk of what I sell, and both are built about an hour north of the store, in Alliston. Tariff news doesn't change those cars much.
The Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline, Odyssey, HR-V and Accord are imported. The Globe says Honda is one of the automakers whose Ontario plants earn it a tariff carve-out on U.S.-built cars. That's part of why those models are still here when some rivals pulled theirs. The carve-out is confidential, though, so nobody outside Honda and Ottawa knows exactly how it works.
My predictions
My prediction: The first full-year 2026 figure from J.D. Power or DesRosiers will put U.S.-made vehicles below 30% of Canadian sales, because the first-half number was already 28.4% and nothing in the tariff picture changed in the second half. I'm wrong if that figure is 30% or higher.
My prediction: On October 18, 2027, honda.ca will still list all six imported models it sells today: Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline, Odyssey, HR-V and Accord. Honda's Ontario production keeps it inside the carve-out that pushed other brands to drop U.S.-built models. I'm wrong if any of the six is gone from honda.ca by then.
If you're buying right now: a Civic or CR-V buyer can ignore the tariff noise and shop on price and trim. If you want an imported model like a Pilot or Odyssey, check this month's Honda deals before you decide to wait. Programs on imported models are where supply news shows up first.
Quick answers
How much of the Canadian car market is U.S.-built in 2026?
J.D. Power data reported by The Globe and Mail puts U.S.-made vehicles at 28.4% of Canadian sales in the first half of 2026, down from 35.4% a year earlier. The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association says that share was 43% in 2024.
Where are Canadians getting their cars from instead?
In the same J.D. Power figures, Mexican-built vehicles rose to 22.2% of Canadian sales, Japanese-built to 16.6% and South Korean-built to 15.6% in the first half of 2026. Canadian-built vehicles slipped to 11.5%.
Which Honda models are built in Canada?
Honda builds the Civic Sedan, Civic Hybrid, Civic Si, gas CR-V and CR-V Hybrid in Alliston, Ontario for the Canadian market. The Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline, Odyssey, HR-V and Accord sold in Canada are imported.
Wondering which Honda fits your timeline?
Tell me what you're looking at. I'll tell you what's on the lot, what's coming, and whether waiting helps.
Henry Chen · Sales Consultant, Maple Honda
89 Auto Vaughan Dr, Maple, ON L6A 4A1
647-523-6878 · henry@maplehonda.com