U.S. truck maker Paccar lays off 300 workers in Quebec

MONTREAL – American truck maker Paccar Inc. is laying off 300 more factory workers in Quebec ahead of a 25 per cent import tariff to be imposed by the U.S. next month.

The factory in Sainte-Thérèse, a Montreal suburb, manufactures Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks and relies heavily on revenue from the United States.

Unifor Quebec director Daniel Cloutier calls the cuts “a wake-up call” as the plant risks losing sales south of the border due to the hefty levies on commercial trucks, set to take effect Nov. 1.

The factory will likely find itself in competition with other plants owned by Paccar, which can shift production to its facilities in the U.S.

In a conference call with analysts this week, chief executive Preston Feight called the sectoral tariffs “a good thing for Paccar’s customers,