The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, July 23, edition that Ottawa is exploring ways to support the auto sector impacted by U.S. tariffs and declining zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales. The Globe's Mark Rendell and Eric Atkins write that Industry Minister Melanie Joly announced that discussions with automakers about the ZEV mandate, which requires 20 per cent of new vehicle sales to be zero emission by 2026, are ongoing. This target increases to 60 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035. Car companies, including Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, have been lobbying Ottawa to repeal the mandate entirely. They say falling electric-vehicle sales in Canada make it impossible to hit the 2026 target. Ms. Joly declined to provide details about any potential changes to the EV mandate being discussed. In March, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a $2-billion "strategic response fund" to enhance the auto sector's competitiveness and support jobs. He promised that government vehicle procurement would prioritize Canadian-made cars and introduced a remission system allowing U.S. auto companies to export some U.S.-made vehicles to Canada tariff-free if they maintain production levels here.