Inflation And Rising Costs Archives

Sticky inflation means July interest rate cut unlikely

July 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

The latest inflation figures have dampened the chances that Canadians will get further debt relief this summer. The Consumer Price Index was 1.9% in June, up from 1.7% in May.

“Price pressures edged higher as goods inflation picked up again. While the jump was mostly brought on by base effects from gasoline prices, underlying inflation remains stubborn,” Canadian Chamber Principal Economist Andrew DiCapua said. “Seasonal factors — particularly in vehicle sales — also helped keep inflation higher. This will weigh heavily on the Bank of Canada, especially as retaliatory tariffs begin to feed through and businesses warn of rising consumer prices. Despite recent economic data presenting a weaker outlook, our call is for a hold on the policy rate at the next Bank of Canada meeting.”

The Bank of Canada, which aims to keep inflation about 2%, will hold its next interest rate announcement on July 30.

Chamber hosting CUSMA workshop in Victoria

July 9, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

Interest rate unchanged as Bank cites uncertainty

June 4, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

The Bank of Canada announced this morning it would stand pat on its target for the overnight rate at 2.75%. The pause was not a surprise for economists as recent GDP numbers show Canada’s economy is stronger than many expected.

“The trade conflict initiated by the United States remains the biggest headwind facing the Canadian economy,” Bank Governor Tiff Macklem said, noting that it’s too soon to see impacts of retaliatory tariffs on consumer prices. “We will continue to support economic growth while ensuring inflation remains well controlled.”

Canada’s inflation rate eased to 1.7% in April, spurred by the elimination of the consumer carbon tax. The Bank’s next rate announcement is July 30.

Uncertainty sparks rate pause by Bank of Canada

April 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Global Uncertainty, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

After seven straight interest-rate cuts buoyed the spirits of businesses and individuals managing debt, it seems economic uncertainty has become a double-edged sword.

The Bank of Canada announced today that its target rate will remain at 2.75%, after inflation came in at 2.3% in March.

The reasoning for the pause was to provide a buffer for the future, which, ironically, had also been cited as a reason to continue to reduce rates. Lower interest rates spur consumer and business spending — good if we’re facing a downturn — but lower rates could also cause inflation to increase, which would be bad.

“Monetary policy cannot resolve trade uncertainty or offset the impacts of a trade war,” the Bank said. “What it can and must do is maintain price stability for Canadians.”

The Bank’s Governing Council said risks to the Canadian economy include:

reduced demand for Canadian exports
lower business investment, employment and household spending
and cost increases being quickly passed on to consumers.

Businesses bear burden of loosening sick day rules

April 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Fair Rules, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Provincial, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery, Inflation And Rising Costs, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

A cost to employers rooted in the pandemic is now further ingrained in law after the provincial government moved to ban the requirement for doctor’s notes when employees take sick days.

“Businesses would have liked to have had more of a say on this policy,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “It’s one thing for the public sector to make this a requirement for its employees, but to force it on the private sector overlooks a lot of concerns we hear from members.”

Organizations understand the benefit of supporting their workers, especially in Greater Victoria with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada. During the pandemic, employers went to great lengths to support staff who were ill as well as to keep workers safe from infection. However, legislating paid sick days is a cost that is not covered by government. This additional burden on business adds up, especially at time when many organizations are facing lower margins.

“Most Chamber members I talk to have great relationships with their staff and go out of their way to help when needed,” Williams said. “But many are rightfully concerned that this change will create confusion and could incentivize abuse of the rules and potentially force employers to provide more paid days off work.”

Canada escapes crosshairs as US takes aim at foreign trade

April 2, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Global Uncertainty, Government Federal, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

Businesses watching today’s tariff announcements from the US administration can be forgiven for feeling more confused than ever. Canadians have been coping with economic anxiety for months due to threats of broad-based tariffs and other measures.

However, on the day that US President Donald Trump promised to unveil his master economic plan for world trade, Canada was barely mentioned.

“At this point, I don’t think anyone is surprised that today’s announcement did not provide a lot of clarity,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “We’ll take some time to analyze what official information is available and what it means for Greater Victoria.”

The initial impression is that Canadian goods under CUSMA will not face tariffs, while goods not covered will have a 10% tariff. It’s also not clear how Canada’s auto industry will actually be affected by a tariff on foreign auto makers.

Greater Victoria’s economy is among the least exposed Canadian cities when it comes to exporting. However, the sabre rattling that comes with talk of a tradewar creates uncertainty, which can bog down business.

“We will get through this, as we have every other crisis in the past, by supporting each other and our communities any way we can,” Williams said. “If there is a silver lining, we do have certainty that we have work to do to build the nation we want. We need an economy that is resilient and sustainable.”

To hear more about how the Canada-US relationship affects our region’s economy, register now for The Chamber’s AGM and panel discussion on April 15.

Consumers get break as BC eliminating carbon tax April 1

March 26, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Climate Change Solutions, Global Uncertainty, Government Federal, Government Provincial, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

Energy costs are set to go down starting April 1 as the province announced yesterday it will make good on its promise to eliminate the consumer carbon tax after the federal government promised to do the same.

BC’s tax adds about 17 cents per litre at the gas pump, and 15 cents per cubic metre of natural gas.

“The Province will continue to act on the commitment to battle climate change by ensuring people in British Columbia have affordable options to make sustainable choices and by encouraging industry to innovate,” the BC Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

Eliminating the tax will help businesses and individuals facing increasing costs and economic uncertainty due to the threats of tariffs and tradewar with the US.

The latest news on the tradewar is a 25% tariff on the auto industry imposed today. The action is expected to increase the cost of vehicles and cause generational chaos to automakers on both sides of the border.

The national Chamber network continues to work on mitigating the threat of tariffs. This week, the Canadian Chamber released a report on US cities that are the most export-dependent on Canada.

Bank drops interest rate, citing trade war uncertainty

March 12, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Global Uncertainty, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

The Bank of Canada made another cut to interest rates today, lowering the overnight rate to 2.75%.

“The Canadian economy entered 2025 in a solid position, with inflation close to the 2% target and robust GDP growth,” the Bank said in a media release. “However, heightened trade tensions and tariffs imposed by the United States will likely slow the pace of economic activity and increase inflationary pressures in Canada.”

The Bank has conducted research into how Canadian businesses and households are reacting to the tradewar. Not surprisingly, people say they plan to be more cautious with spending and are worried about job security. Businesses are revising sales outlooks, while also trying to tie into the wave of “buy Canadian” sentiment sweeping the country.

“Monetary policy cannot offset the impacts of a trade war. What it can and must do is ensure that higher prices do not lead to ongoing inflation,” the Bank said.

New report offers insight into Canadian real estate

March 5, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Housing, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

What do the current events of 2025 mean for Canada’s real estate industry? There’s no crystal ball to foretell the future, but the expert prognosticators at Doane Grant Thornton have put together some thoughtful insights in their 2025 Real Estate market summary. The report looks at key trends, including the political winds blowing north from south of the border as well as the state of capital markets and impact of AI.

You can read about various asset classes and more at doanegrantthornton.ca.

BC Budget 2025 attempts to tackle trade war’s unknowns

March 5, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Global Uncertainty, Government Provincial, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

The best news from yesterday’s BC Budget 2025 announcement was a promise from the provincial Finance Minister to work more closely with businesses going forward.

As is tradition, the minister met with the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce today to discuss the budget.

Brenda Bailey, a former tech sector entrepreneur, was elected to government in 2020 and appointed Finance Minister in November 2024. Her first budget day was overshadowed by news that the United States was moving ahead with a trade war on Canada.

Bailey acknowledged the curveball, noting that the budget was put together with tariffs in mind. There is also $4 billion in contingency funds set aside annually for three years to address unforeseen challenges. It’s a strategy that makes sense, but one business groups will be watching closely.

“We want to see policies that are looking at the horizon, that are investing in making our private sector bigger, growing our economy,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “We’re fortunate to live in a region with a diverse economy that is relatively sheltered from a trade war. That said, we know we’re in for challenging times ahead as Canada will be impacted by tariffs.”

In response to the US’s tariff announcement, the Canadian Chamber issued a statement saying the trade war will hurt Americans and have disastrous impacts on people in many US cities.

“Canada is resource and talent rich. Our economic future is ours to determine — it’s time to join our economic strategy with concrete action to not only minimize the short-term damage but to chart a more prosperous path long-term,” Canadian Chamber president and CEO Candace Laing said.

Read the Full Media Release