The lobbyist on the other end of the phone laughed. I’d just asked a question about Canada’s so-called de minimis threshold, a subject which, even in wonky Ottawa, provokes glances at heaven and condescending grins. As in: “Oh, that again. When will you understand that no one understands it and nobody cares?” Well, that might be true. Canadian media dislike complex trade issues, and Canadian consumers are largely a supine, uninformed, apathetic bunch, inclined to do whatever they’re told and behave like the milk cows they’re treated as, by government…
Read MoreMonth: July 2017
Canadian Cars Turning Electric Without Government Forcing The Issue: Industry – NEWS 1130
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – Great Britain and France intend to bar outright the sale of any gas powered vehicles by 2040 but even one of the biggest proponents of electric cars in Canada says that’s likely an impossible goal for this country. France announced its policy in early July, followed by Britain this week, joining Norway and India as the only countries in the world with a plan to entirely phase out the sale of gas or diesel powered cars and trucks. The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate…
Read More‘Energizer Bunny’ Loonie To Peak Near 80 Cents US: Experts | CTV News
Two leading Bay Street strategists expect the Canadian dollar’s steady climb over the last two months will start to top out at about 80 cents US, a level it flirted with on Monday amid signs of an increasingly robust economy. The loonie, which ended Monday with an average trading price of 79.92 cents US, up 0.23 of a cent, has packed on more than seven cents since early May — a surge largely fueled by the vote of confidence earlier this month from the Bank of Canada in the form…
Read MoreTrump Asked Ottawa To Drop Duties On e-Commerce Under NAFTA. Canadians Should Cheer, Say Experts – National | Globalnews.ca
Canada has been fretting over U.S. President Donald Trump’s objectives for the upcoming NAFTA renegotiations. The administration published its wish list on Monday, ahead of the Aug. 16 date set for the start of the trade talks. But at least one of those asks should have Canadian consumers cheering. The U.S. requested that Ottawa raise the value of goods that Canadians can buy online without paying import duties and taxes to US$800 (C$1,011 ), up from its current level of C$20. That would be “unambiguously good for consumers,” Daniel Schwanen, vice-president…
Read MoreU.S.-Bound Travellers To Face ‘Enhanced Security Measures’ At All Canadian Airports – Toronto – CBC News
Airline passengers travelling from Canada to the United States will face a new battery of “enhanced security measures” now required by the Department of Homeland Security. The new measures will be enforced starting July 19 and include: WestJet and Air Canada are advising passengers to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their scheduled departure to accommodate the enhanced screening process. Faster airport security? New automated checkpoints may have you sailing through Enhanced airport security could end U.S. laptop ban. Read full story here: U.S.-Bound Travellers To Face ‘Enhanced…
Read MoreMortgages Won’t Be Only Problem For Many Canadians As Rates Rise – Business – CBC News
With the Bank of Canada set to raise lending rates, mortgage holders have been warned to expect more expensive debt than they’ve become used to. But other forms of debt are even more vulnerable to the tiny rate hikes to come. Traders are about 90 per cent certain of a rate hike at 10 a.m. ET Wednesday, with the bank’s benchmark rate expected to inch up to 0.75 per cent from 0.50 per cent. And a major impact of that move is likely to be felt entirely outside the mortgage market.…
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