In this edition:
- Industry, labour groups form council to tackle impending tariffs
- Fourth quarter housing data hints at home sales rebound for 2025
- Premiers divided on energy exports as they meet with Trudeau to talk Trump tariffs
- Niagara non-profits among recipients of Women’s Capacity Fund grants
- Auto sales dip in November, leading across-the-board wholesale sales decline
- Aerospace manufacturing reaches record high in latest economic data
- ServiceOntario Staples agreement could have saved $1.2M
- Focus on Markets
Did you know you can get the GNCC’s Daily Update emailed to you? Click here to sign up.

Picture credit: amazing studio / Adobe Stock
Industry, labour groups form council to tackle impending tariffs
Although Canadian politicians are in the thick of coming up with plans to deal with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats, industry and labour have also come together to find solutions.
A voluntary initiative was launched on Jan. 10 to form the Canada US Trade Council (CUSTC), which includes participants from a variety of sectors (steel, aluminum, forest products, oil and gas, agri-food, dairy, chemistry, banking, as well as broader industry groups such as the Business Council of Canada, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters) and labour organizations.

Photo credit: Andrii Yalanskyi / Adobe Stock
Fourth quarter housing data hints at home sales rebound for 2025
With much of the early fall surge of supply having now been picked over, home sales activity recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems dipped in December 2024.
Sales were down 5.8% compared to November, but still stand 13% above where they were in May, just before the first interest rate cut by the Bank of Canada in early June.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (left), Ontario Premier Doug Ford | Picture credit: Adam Scotti, Office of the Prime Minister
Premiers divided on energy exports as they meet with Trudeau to talk Trump tariffs
Canada should make sure the U.S. is aware of its critical reliance on Canadian energy but not pull back on those exports just yet, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey said Wednesday.
Furey joined other premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a meeting in Ottawa to discuss Canada’s plan to respond to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

Picture credit: Chanelle Malambo / peopleimages.com / Adobe Stock
Niagara non-profits among recipients of Women’s Capacity Fund grants
The YWCA Niagara Region and Welland’s Solidarité des femmes et familles interconnectées francophones du Niagara are among the grant recipients announced for the federal Women’s Capacity Fund.
The funding will increase the capacity of these organizations to achieve their goals, build knowledge, and implement change. This includes establishing partnerships and networks, increasing community engagement, and developing strategic and financial plans.

Picture credit: hedgehog94 / Adobe Stock
Auto sales dip in November, leading across-the-board wholesale sales decline
Wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain) fell 0.2% to $83.7 billion in November. The largest decrease came from the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector (-5.5% to $14.0 billion). This decrease was tempered by increased sales in five of the seven subsectors, representing 68.6% of total wholesale sales.

Picture credit: nvphoto / Adobe Stock
Aerospace manufacturing reaches record high in latest economic data
Production of aerospace products and parts reached its highest level on record, rising 9.3% to $2.8 billion in November, following a 1.7% increase in October. Production increased in all major aerospace manufacturing plants in November, while total exports of aircraft, aircraft engines and aircraft parts rose 9.0% during the same period. On a year-over-year basis, total production of aerospace products and parts increased 23.3% in November.

Picture credit: Government of Ontario
ServiceOntario Staples agreement could have saved $1.2M
The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) has concluded its examination of the Province’s plan to relocate nine ServiceOntario centres into Staples Canada stores. Assuming that the Province would have renewed its agreements with the nine original operators with expanded service levels, the report concluded that retaining the original operators would have cost the Province a total of $12.9 million. The $11.7 million cost of the Staples Canada agreement results in net savings of $1.2 million.
Click here to read more.
Did you know?
Canadian exports support 1.4 million American jobs.
Focus on Markets
Strategist says Trump unlikely to walk back tariff threats
As Donald Trump gets set to return to the White House next week, one expert says the U.S. president-elect isn’t likely to back down on his proposed plan to impose sweeping tariffs on imported goods from Canada.
Greg Valliere, chief U.S. policy strategist at AGF Investments, told BNN Bloomberg that he believes Trump will follow through on his threat to levy 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports within his first few days in office, despite a recent report that the administration may ease them in over time.
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.