Tesla pauses Model 3 Premium orders in Canada, citing its China import quota

Canadian buyers can no longer order the cheaper versions of the Tesla Model 3. Electrek reports that both Model 3 Premium variants, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, have disappeared from Tesla's Canadian configurator. The only Model 3 left to order is the Performance AWD.

What Tesla says

The order page now shows a short note: "Model 3 Premium orders paused after high demand exhausted Tesla's import quota. Ordering resumes if Govt of Canada issues more quota, expected March 2027."

The Model 3 Premium sold in Canada is built in Shanghai. Canada's quota year runs from March to February, so the next batch of permits is due on 1 March 2027.

How the quota works

• In January, Canada cut its tariff on Chinese-made EVs from 100% to 6.1% but capped imports at 49,000 vehicles a year, split into two six-month periods.
• Global Affairs Canada says permits are issued first come, first served, and its notice sets no per-manufacturer limit.
• The government tracker, updated on 9 October, shows 15,931 permits used since 1 March. That leaves 33,069, about 67%, unused.

Electrek also points to the monthly figures for imported EVs valued at C$35,000 or less, the customs category a C$39,490 Model 3 RWD would fall into. They went from 465 in June to 4,743 in July and 2,597 in August, then just 7 in September and zero in October so far.

Why the gap?

Neither Tesla nor Ottawa has explained it publicly. Electrek notes that the quota notice allows the government to set part of the quota aside for other automakers, "including new entrants", to ensure "equitable access". It suggests Tesla may have been given a specific allocation, but no company-by-company allocation has been published. Another possibility is that Tesla's order backlog already covers every permit it expects before February.

Why it matters

Tesla launched the Model 3 Premium RWD in Canada in May at C$39,490. Before that, the cheapest Model 3 there was the US-built Long Range AWD at C$79,990, which is subject to Canada's 25% counter-tariff on US-made vehicles. Under the agreement, the quota is due to rise to 70,000 vehicles by 2030.