Carlos Gomes Announce Quotations

In recent months, both General Motors and Ford have announced plans to close numerous facilities, eliminating roughly 2.4 million units of North American capacity through 2008. We estimate that once these restructuring initiatives are complete, North American capacity for the 'traditional' Big Three will likely drop below 10 million units, down from over 12.5 million in 2005.

In Ontario, job losses in manufacturing have accelerated in recent months alongside announced layoffs in the key auto sector. However, Ontario's economy is well diversified and strength in the service sector, which accounts for more than 70 percent of overall employment and economic activity, should support vehicle sales of about 590,000 units in 2006 - in line with the average of the past two years.