In this edition:
- Niagara Transit reports record ridership in 2024
- GNCC supports expansion of Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit
- Niagara observes Red Dress Day
- Canadian businesses highlight safety and mental health
- Farm Credit Canada says food and beverage industry faces mixed outlook in 2025
- Focus on International Trade
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Photo credit: Niagara Transit
Niagara Transit reports record ridership in 2024
With 10.9 million rides delivered across all services in 2024, and nearly 100% service delivery on conventional bus service, with 83% on-time performance (OTP) outperforming the industry peer average of 79% OTP, Niagara Transit set new records last year, with ridership consistently outpacing budget growth.
Photo credit: romankrykh / Adobe Stock
GNCC supports expansion of Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit
Manufacturing remains one of the most important contributors to Niagara’s economy, employing 22,100 people and generating 14 per cent of the region’s gross domestic product.
The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce supports the continued implementation and expansion of the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit (OMMITC). This policy, bolstered by a $1.3 billion funding commitment announced on May 5, 2025, addresses one of the most persistent structural barriers facing Niagara manufacturers: the high upfront cost of capital investment.
Picture credit: Town of Lincoln
Niagara observes Red Dress Day
May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S+), also known as Red Dress Day. This day honours the lives lost to gender- and race-based violence and draws attention to the ongoing national crisis affecting Indigenous communities across Canada.
Observations are taking place across Niagara, including at Lincoln and Pelham, which are officially marking the day.
Picture credit: visoot / Adobe Stock
Canadian businesses highlight safety and mental health
This year’s Safety Week theme is All In Together: Plan Own Commit. Running from today (May 5) to May 9, the week represents a collective dedication to safety, ensuring every team member is supported, not just throughout the week, but every day.
This May 5 to 11, during Mental Health Week, people across Canada are also being encouraged to look beyond the surface and see the whole person. The entire month of May is also Mental Health Month.
Picture credit: Kwangmoozaa / Adobe Stock
Farm Credit Canada says food and beverage industry faces mixed outlook in 2025
Canada’s food and beverage manufacturers face a year of uncertainty, with opportunities tempered by economic challenges, trade disruptions and shifting consumer habits, according to the latest FCC Food and Beverage Report.
FCC Economics forecasts a modest 0.6 per cent increase in food and beverage sales to $168.8 billion in 2025, but a 1.5 per cent decline in sales volume, reflecting ongoing adjustments to beverage manufacturing.
Focus on International Trade
The U.S. tax loophole that made Shein and Temu rich is changing. What will happen to the brands now?
For years, Shein and Temu used a U.S. tax loophole to keep their costs low and send items to the country ultra-quickly.
Not anymore.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 2 to end the de minimis exemption — a rule that allows small packages worth less than $800 US to enter the U.S. tax free — for packages from China and Hong Kong, effective Friday.
The de minimis rule exists to prevent customs agents from spending too much time processing small packages that don’t yield much money for the government in import taxes. But now, the Trump administration is reversing the rule for imports from China, saying the exemption has allowed illegal drugs to come into the country.
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.
