To most auto makers, the Canada/Us border no longer means a thing. Most have built production facilities in North America and the goods are moved from nation to nation with impunity thanks to free trade. They can moved production where they like, ship parts form and to where they like and do all of the above with labour. The argument that Canada is a smaller market has no bearing whatsoever anymore.
What pisses me off is that the manuacturers can have all the advantages of free trade, but NONE of the disadvantages. They want to be able to have free access to all markets, but restrict their dealers and the consumers form buying where and when they want to.
The USA is no more a competitive market for Subaru than Canada. We are showing that by wathcing US Subaru dealers dying to advertise here and hoping to lure Canadian shoppers. Why? If Canadian customers are so few that we have to be charged some much higher price, why on earth would a Subaru dealer in Montana bother? The reality is that the US market now includes Canada thanks to the dollar parity. Don't like it? Well, then let's go back to managed trade. Free trade is an excuse for letting business have their way, and it's BS.
Personally, I'd be all in favour of scrapping NAFTA. Let's manage our trade (scrapping free trade does NOT mean no trade, as there was billions and billions of dollars of trade before free trade) and help our manufacturing business thrive despite our small population. We need to stop relying on cheap goods from China to subsidize our standard of living, which is based on "buy as much stuff as you can cram in your mini-van every day."
But, business demanded free trade. Well, if we have it, lets at least get something out if it. Honda, Toyota and GM "banning" Canadian consumers from buying in the US?
you. Personally, I'd say "fine, don't want Canadian consumers? Get the hell out of Canada. Go" If wasn't in Honda's interest to sell cars here, they would be long gone. ANY company selling here now wants to be here.
So, until they rethink their policies regarding cross border shopping (I think Yanks should be able to buy car here like nuts of the dollar sinks to $0.50USD and our prices are better) I won't be buying a new car from any car company that has the type of restrictions that Toyota and the rest have in place.