A 50% Tariff Changes the Road—But Not Our Direction
Simolo Customs speaks with CBC about tariffs, Canadian manufacturing and what comes next
I recently spoke with CBC about the United States’ decision to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian-made golf carts entering the American market.
For Simolo Customs, this isn’t an abstract trade-policy discussion. It has a direct impact on our business, our export plans and the Canadian employees who design and manufacture our vehicles here in British Columbia.
A 50% tariff effectively prices a Canadian-built vehicle out of much of the U.S. market overnight. It makes years of investment, product development and relationship-building significantly harder to translate into export growth.
But while the tariff may change the road ahead, it doesn’t change our direction.
Sixteen Years of Building in Canada
We started this company 16 years ago with the belief that Canada could build something better.
Today, Simolo Customs operates from a 42,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Spallumcheen, British Columbia. Our team performs an increasing amount of our manufacturing in-house, including fabrication, paint, upholstery, thermoforming, battery development, engineering and final assembly.
We have invested heavily in Canadian manufacturing because we believe there is long-term value in building products here, employing Canadians and developing Canadian intellectual property.
Our goal has never been to build the cheapest golf cart on the market. Competing solely on price is a race to the bottom, especially when Canadian manufacturers are expected to compete against imported products produced under completely different labour, regulatory and economic conditions.
Our focus has always been value: better performance, longer service life, dependable support and vehicles designed for Canadian conditions.
Canadian Manufacturers Need Canadian Customers
The tariff presents a serious challenge to our plans for expanding into the United States. At the same time, it reinforces how important the Canadian market is—and why purchasing decisions made here at home matter.
Canada imports thousands of golf carts and low-speed vehicles every year. A significant portion of those vehicles are purchased by Canadian golf courses, resorts, municipalities, businesses and individual consumers.
Every time one of those customers chooses a Canadian-manufactured vehicle, more of that investment remains in Canada. It supports Canadian jobs, Canadian suppliers, Canadian product development and the growth of a domestic manufacturing industry.
Buying Canadian should not mean accepting less. Canadian manufacturers still need to earn the business by producing a competitive product and providing strong long-term value.
That is exactly what we intend to do.
Proof That Canadian Manufacturing Can Compete
Predator Ridge Resort made the decision to operate one of Canada’s largest golf fleets using Canadian-built NXT vehicles.
The fleet has already completed more than 59,000 rounds of golf and travelled over one million holes. That real-world performance demonstrates that a Canadian manufacturer can compete at the highest level while providing the service, support and accountability that come from working directly with the company building the vehicles.
This is bigger than one fleet or one manufacturer.
It is proof that Canadian golf courses and organizations do not have to automatically look outside the country when making major equipment purchases. Canadian companies are capable of developing, manufacturing and supporting world-class products right here at home.
Turning a Challenge Into an Opportunity
There is no question that a 50% tariff creates uncertainty. It affects our export projections and could limit opportunities that would otherwise help us expand production and create more Canadian jobs.
However, Simolo Customs has never been built around taking the easiest path.
We will continue investing in our facility, our employees, our technology and our next generation of Canadian-designed vehicles. We will continue pursuing international opportunities while strengthening our dealer and customer network across Canada.
Most importantly, we will keep showing Canadian customers what is possible when they choose a manufacturer that is building, investing and standing behind its products here at home.
Tariffs may close one door, but they can also remind us of the opportunity directly in front of us.
This is the time for Canadian golf courses, municipalities, resorts, businesses and consumers to take a serious look at Canadian-made vehicles.
We don’t import the future. We build it.
Watch Jeff Holomis discuss the impact of the new U.S. tariffs with CBC:
Interested in choosing Canadian for your next vehicle or fleet?
Contact Simolo Customs to learn more about our NXT golf, lifestyle, commercial and street-legal vehicles.
