In this edition:
- Trump pausing tariffs on some Canadian goods until April 2
- Ontario slapping 25% surcharge on U.S.-bound electricity Monday
- First Ministers agreed on unifying professional certifications across Canada
- Destiny Copper receives $2.5M federal investment
- Niagara Region seeks input for Community Safety and Well-Being Plan update
- Canadian exports reached record high in January under tariff threat
- Business Data Lab issues new report on women entrepreneurs
- Focus on Retail
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Picture credit: Pixel-Shot / Adobe Stock
Trump pausing tariffs on some Canadian goods until April 2
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he is again pausing his tariffs on some Canadian goods, offering the country yet another roughly month-long reprieve from a punishing 25 per cent levy.
But the events of the last week show what Canada is in for over the next nearly four years: chaos, unpredictability and constantly moving goal posts from a White House that doesn’t play by normal trade rules.
Questions about tariffs? Visit the GNCC’s tariff and trade resource page.
Picture credit: Joey Coleman / CC BY 2.0
Ontario slapping 25% surcharge on U.S.-bound electricity Monday, Ford says
Ontario will charge 25 per cent more for electricity shipped to 1.5 million Americans starting Monday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Premier Doug Ford said Thursday.
The province provides electricity to Minnesota, New York and Michigan. Earlier this week, Ford warned the governors of those states about the coming changes.
Photo credit: Yakobchuk Olena / Adobe Stock
First Ministers agreed on unifying professional certifications across Canada as first step on internal trade barriers
At a meeting yesterday, the Prime Minister and Canada’s premiers agreed to build on the foundational work of the Committee on Internal Trade and strengthen Canada’s domestic economy by reducing barriers to internal trade and labour mobility across the country. First Ministers agreed that certified professionals with credentials in one jurisdiction should be able to work anywhere in Canada.
Picture credit: Henry of Pelham Estate Winery
Niagara wineries hope to fill the gap in U.S. trade war
U.S. tariffs weren’t even in place yet when restaurants started calling Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery in west St. Catharines about replacing their California wines with local product.
President Paul Speck said over the past month, as tariff threats hung over the country and a Buy Canadian movement started, his winery sold more of its VQA wine into restaurants.
Picture credit: jonnysek / Adobe Stock
Destiny Copper receives $2.5M federal investment
Picture credit: Regional Municipality of Niagara
Niagara Region seeks input for Community Safety and Well-Being Plan update
Niagara Region, in collaboration with Niagara Regional Police Services and community partners, is updating its plan that supports community safety and well-being in Niagara. Engaging the community is crucial to creating a responsive update to Niagara’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. Niagara residents and members of the public are encouraged to share their input through an online survey starting March 5, 2025.
Picture credit: Negro Elkha / Adobe Stock
Canadian exports reached record high in January under tariff threat
In January, in the context of tariff threats on Canadian goods, Canada’s merchandise exports increased 5.5% while imports were up 2.3%. It was a fourth consecutive monthly increase for exports and imports, and both reached record highs in January.
Picture credit: Cultura Allies / Adobe Stock
Business Data Lab issues new report on women entrepreneurs
Last year, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab (BDL) published its inaugural report, Barely Breaking Ground: The Slow Stride of Progress for Women in Business Leadership and Entrepreneurship, identifying persistent representation and compensation gaps in female employment. As the second instalment of this research, Women Entrepreneurs: Canada’s Biggest Missed Business Opportunity examines the status of women entrepreneurs in Canada.
Focus on Retail
From boycotts to ‘Buy Canadian,’ it’s been a turbulent year for the grocery industry
Giancarlo Trimarchi, president of Vince’s Market—an independent grocer with six stores north of Toronto—often reminds himself, “We sell bananas. That’s our core business.”
But selling food to customers isn’t so simple anymore, he says.
Changing regulatory policies, economic volatility, demographic trends, labour movements, supply chain disruptions and shifting public perceptions have together created a grocery sector that feels in a perpetual state of flux.
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.
