Yes — there have been Tesla automobiles built in China that were imported into Canada. Here’s what’s known:

China-built Teslas Sold in Canada
- Starting in 2023, Tesla began exporting Model 3 and Model Y vehicles built at its Gigafactory Shanghai (China) to Canada for sale and delivery. These vehicles appeared on the Tesla Canada website with VIN codes indicating they were made in China.
- The exported China-built vehicles included rear-wheel drive Model Y variants and Long Range all-wheel drive Model 3s, and they were eligible for Canadian federal EV incentives because Canada doesn’t tie incentives to where the vehicle was manufactured.
- Canadian inventory records from that period showed a small number of China-built Model Y and Model 3 units “ready for delivery” across several provinces, identifiable by VINs starting with the prefix assigned to the Shanghai facility.

Changes After Trade Policy Shifts
- After 2023, Canada imposed a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, which significantly reduced or paused China-to-Canada imports. Tesla then shifted its supply for the Canadian market to cars built at its Fremont (USA) and Berlin (Germany) factories.
- As of early 2026, a new trade deal between Canada and China reduced tariffs on Chinese EVs and created quotas for imports, which could allow Tesla to resume exporting China-built models to Canada under more favorable conditions.

How to Tell If a Tesla Was Built in China
If you’re checking a specific vehicle:
- The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) can tell you where it was manufactured. China-built Teslas from Shanghai generally start with “LRW”.
Summary: Yes — Tesla did ship and sell China-built Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in Canada beginning in 2023, marking some of the first China-manufactured Tesla exports into the Canadian market. Trade policy changes later disrupted that, with Tesla shifting supply to its U.S. and European factories, but recent policy updates could lead to more China-to-Canada imports again.