Canadian auto parts mogul’s wealth rebounds to $1.8 billion despite US tariff pressure

US tariff measures announced by President Donald Trump once drove Linamar Corp.’s shares down, cutting executive chair Linda Hasenfratz’s billionaire status to roughly $800 million. This year the Guelph-based firm has rallied about 27%, outpacing the Toronto market and restoring Hasenfratz’s wealth to $1.8 billion. The company’s exposure to the 25% tariff on assembled vehicles is limited because over 60% of its revenue comes from auto parts exempt under the current US-Canada-Mexico trade pact, which stays active for another ten years.

While Trump threatens a new 50% tariff on other Canadian goods, auto parts remain excluded, and analysts argue reshoring parts production would be costly. Linamar has used the calmer tariff environment to acquire distressed firms in Germany and the United States, expanding its technology base and driving record sales, with further deals anticipated. Diversification into industrial lifts, now popular in AI data centers, and exploration of defense and robotics, underpin the company’s stable cash flow and dividend payouts that form about 13% of the family’s net worth.