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Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Home / Daily Update  /  Daily Update: October 7, 2025

Daily Update: October 7, 2025

October 7, 2025 | Daily Update

In this edition:

  • Port Colborne publishes draft budget
  • Grimsby seeks community input on branding project
  • Government of Canada highlights reduced usage of Temporary Foreign Worker Program and increased penalties
  • Auto sales drove summer retail uptick
  • Trump says U.S. could renew CUSMA or make separate deal with Canada
  • Trade disruptions stifle growth for Canadian F&B manufacturers
  • Pressure is building on Donald Trump as tariffs bite deeper into American manufacturing
  • Focus on Canada-U.S. Business

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Port Colborne City Hall

Picture credit: City of Port Colborne

Port Colborne publishes draft budget

The City of Port Colborne has released its draft 2026 budget documents for public review, including both capital and operating budgets, as well as schedules of user fees, charges, and rates. Council will meet to discuss the budget on November 4.

Click here to read more.

An exterior shot of Grimsby Town Hall

Photo credit: Town of Grimsby

The Town of Grimsby is embarking on a Branding Project to capture its character, charm, and community pride. Grimsby is represented by a crest and a corporate logo.

“While they’ve served us well,” said a media release for the Town, “they don’t fully capture the spirit, energy, and personality of our community. This project will help build a fresh, authentic brand that reflects Grimsby’s values and vision for the future.”

Click here to read more.

Immigration to Canada. Woman having interview with embassy worker in office, closeup

Picture credit: New Africa / Adobe Stock

Government of Canada highlights reduced usage of Temporary Foreign Worker Program and increased penalties

In a media release, the Government of Canada today emphasized measures implemented to reduce reliance on the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program, resulting in a 50% reduction overall in applications to the Program and 70% in the low-wage stream. The employer compliance regime aims to verify employers’ adherence to program requirements and conditions through inspections. Employers who do not respect these could be issued administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) of up to $1 million per year and be temporarily or permanently banned from the Program.

Click here to read more.

A car dealer hands a set of keys over to a customer

Photo credit: Nomad_Soul / Adobe Stock

Auto sales drove summer retail uptick

Retail sales reached $73.4 billion in July, an increase of 4.8% compared with the same month one year earlier. Higher sales were recorded in 16 of the 18 commodity classes.

The largest gain in dollar terms came from motor vehicle sales, which posted a year-over-year increase of 7.6% in July.

Click here to read more.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump participate in Session I of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada.

Picture credit: Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok

Trump says U.S. could renew CUSMA or make separate deal with Canada

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Canada and the U.S. could renew the trilateral North American free trade agreement — or just do separate deals instead.

During a brief press conference before a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in the White House, Trump said Carney would leave Washington “happy” but would not say why.

Click here to read more.

A row of loaves of bread on a production line in a commercial bakery

Photo credit: Nander / Adobe Stock

Trade disruptions stifle growth for Canadian F&B manufacturers

The Canadian food and beverage manufacturing sector has faced slower-than-expected growth in the first half of 2025, with sales and margins experiencing pressure given the challenging trade and economic environment, says Farm Credit Canada.
Click here to read more.

Picture credit: Andrea Izzotti / Adobe Stock

Pressure is building on Donald Trump as tariffs bite deeper into American manufacturing

As Mark Carney heads to Washington there is clear and obvious pressure on the prime minister to secure some kind of deal. But pressure is growing on the Trump administration as well.

American farmers are clamouring for bailouts, bourbon producers are pushing for tariff relief and automakers are asking for a break of their own.

Click here to read more.

Focus on Canada-U.S. Business

The U.S. Travel Association forecasts that international travel to the U.S. will fall 6.3% in 2025, the first decline since 2020. U.S. Travel said the decline threatens billions in spending and thousands of jobs, and the advocacy group called on the government to take action to reverse the trend.

International visitor numbers are expected to drop from 72.4 million in 2024 to 67.9 million this year, with significantly fewer visits from Canada the primary driver of the decrease, U.S. Travel said. Visitation from other countries is expected to be flat.

Meanwhile, outbound international travel continues to grow, pushing the travel trade deficit for 2025 to an anticipated $70 billion.

Click here to read more.

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.

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