It took less than a week for the uneasy pause in trade tensions between Canada and the U.S. to reignite after U.S. President Donald Trump announced steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The 25 per cent tariff, which is set to take effect on March 12, includes products from Canada — the largest ... READ MORE >
supply chain
Canada’s unemployment rate falls to 6.6% as business sentiment improves
Canada’s economic resurgence appears well under way. The economy added 76,000 jobs in January, the employment rate rose 0.1 percentage points to 61.1 per cent and the unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 6.6 per cent. The unemployment rate fell back to a level last seen in October 2024—and ... READ MORE >
Even with pause, Trump’s tariffs and Canada’s response establish volatile new economic reality
Editor's note: This article has been updated following news of the pause in implementing tariffs. After a weekend that saw U.S. President Donald Trump impose steep tariffs on Canadian goods and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put forward retaliatory measures, the widely feared tariff war appears on hold ... READ MORE >
Canada’s jobs report exceeds expectations for December
Canada’s jobs report for December exceeded expectations in several ways, a credit to a resilient economy poised to grow as more rate cuts are expected from the Bank of Canada. The economy added 91,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate dropped 0.1 percentage points to 6.7 per cent. The employment rate ... READ MORE >
Tariffs would fray Canada-U.S. ties in energy and auto manufacturing
A blanket tariff by the U.S. on Canadian imports is unlikely to materialize early next year despite rhetoric from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. Still, the mere prospect of new tariffs has caused considerable anxiety in Canada. Such a move would have dire economic implications on both ... READ MORE >
Tariff discussions in health care and life sciences industries stoke global supply chain concerns
The health care and life sciences industries could be facing significant changes under a second Trump administration. From the prospect of new tariffs to the likelihood that the BIOSECURE Act will be enacted, companies are scrambling to adjust to what could be a changed operating ... READ MORE >
New tariffs on medical equipment could strain health care and life sciences supply chains
Health care and life sciences organizations’ operations could be affected by recent tariff increases on Chinese medical equipment imports as part of a broader economic regime shift to embrace industrial policy. The Biden administration, in an effort to address what it calls unfair trade policies and ... READ MORE >
Defense tech companies seek growth
Defense technology executives appeared pleased that Congress enacted into law the National Defense Authorization Act for 2023. But labor, parts and inflation continue to challenge their companies' ability to improve operating margins, they said during spring 2023 earnings calls. Multiple themes emerged ... READ MORE >
Canada’s supply chain healthy as demand slows
The RSM Canada Supply Chain Index reached 2.31 in August, one of the highest readings since 2000, thanks to improvements across delivery time, prices, and inventory levels, signaling sufficient health of the supply chain. This sharp increase represents a dramatic shift from just a few months ago; in ... READ MORE >
RSM U.S. Supply Chain Index: Back to normal for first time since pandemic hit
The U.S. Supply Chain Index in July was back above neutral for the first time in nearly three years on the back of the continuing strong rebounds in inventories and capacity utilization. With most of the COVID-19 concerns behind us and the renormalization of supply-chain linkages around the world, we ... READ MORE >