Articles for category: Trade

November 12, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

China tightens precursor exports to North America

China moved today to restrict exports of fentanyl precursors to North America, adding a fresh layer of licensing for shipments bound for Canada, the United States and Mexico. The Commerce Ministry said it will adjust its catalogue of drug‑related precursor chemicals and require export licences for certain substances to the region, a change framed as part of ongoing regulatory efforts. State media previously reported new licence requirements on 13 substances, including piperidine derivatives used to synthesize fentanyl. The step follows a trade truce disclosed on November 1, 2025, when Beijing pledged to curb flows of fentanyl‑related chemicals as part of

November 10, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

Albertans back domestic control of resources, poll says

A solid majority of Albertans want companies that develop oil, gas, minerals and forests to stay in Canadian hands, according to a new Ipsos survey conducted Oct. 25-27 for Global News. Nationally, 64 percent of the 1,000 respondents said Ottawa should block foreign buyers from taking over such firms, but support climbs to 73 percent in Alberta and 77 percent in British Columbia. Older Canadians are more protective than younger ones, mirroring long-running “buy local” attitudes that have migrated from grocery aisles to the resource patch. The online poll is considered accurate to within ±3.8 percentage points, 19 times out

November 7, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

CN sets October grain record at 3.4 million tonnes

Canadian National moved over 3.4 million metric tonnes of grain from Western Canada in October, marking an all-time monthly record. The volume surpassed the prior monthly high by 110,000 tonnes and represents CN’s best individual month for grain shipments on record, according to the railway’s statement dated November 5, 2025. Back to back shipping records The October mark follows a September performance where CN moved more than 2.91 million metric tonnes from the Prairies, a record for that month and a set up for a strong start to the crop year. CN has guided to moving 27.0 to 29.5 million

November 4, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

Households Anxious As Mid-Sized Bank Risks Rise

Fresh polling and new credit analysis point to a financial picture that still feels tight for Canadian households, even after the recent Bank of Canada rate cut of 2.25 percent. Anxiety is showing up in day‑to‑day budgets, with a national survey by United Way Centraide finding that 55 percent feel anxious about their personal finances and 42 percent could cover less than one month of expenses if their main income disappeared. Markets will read that as pressure on discretionary spending and on credit performance at the margin. The question now is how quickly rate relief flows through to monthly payments

November 4, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

OECD Urges Canada To Ease Supply Management

The OECD’s 2025 agricultural scorecard urges Ottawa to soften long‑standing support for dairy, poultry, and eggs. In the Canada chapter, the organisation says producer support in these supply‑managed sectors still distorts trade and keeps domestic prices elevated relative to market signals. The suggested pathway is not a shock therapy. It is gradual and paired with productivity aims. The timing lands as grocery inflation cools but remains a political issue. What Reform Could Mean For Prices Supply management, which balances supply and demand through quotas, price setting, and import controls, is designed to stabilise farm income and ensure steady supply for

November 3, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

Canada Backs 26 Critical Minerals Measures Under G7

Permitting and price swings have stalled mines, Ottawa just moved buyers and public cash to break the freeze. On October 31, 2025, ministers wrapped a G7 meeting in Toronto and said Canada will push projects worth C$6.4 billion. The plan includes off take deals to anchor supply, a faster way to close financing than speeches. Terms Set By Ottawa And G7 The government’s release lists 26 investments and measures under a new Critical Minerals Production Alliance, alongside nine allied countries, to “unlock” C$6.4 billion of projects. It names offtake agreements with Nouveau Monde Graphite and Rio Tinto, plus a Roadmap

November 1, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

Xi And Carney Agree To Advance Relations At APEC

Despite ongoing tariff issues, Xi Jinping and Mark Carney signaled a reset for diplomatic relations during their meeting at the APEC summit. Meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, last Friday, the two leaders agreed to advance ties and Carney accepted Xi’s invitation to visit China, though a date has not yet been set. This discussion marks their first formal leaders’ meeting in years, representing a significant break from the diplomatic freeze that began after the 2018 Huawei arrests. Tariffs Set The Terms Canada’s 100 percent surcharge on Chinese EVs took effect on October 1, 2024, on top of the 6.1 percent

October 30, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

Algoma Steel Pivots Away From U.S. Sales

Schedules keep getting tighter for Algoma’s order book. A 50 percent U.S. Section 232 tariff on Canadian steel took effect early June, making many exports uneconomic and pushing the mill to focus at home. From June onwards, Algoma booked C$64.1 million in tariff costs on C$589.7 million of revenue, posting a C$110.6 million net loss. These numbers are staggering and that’s before the recent edition of Trump’s latest 10 percent added on top. CEO Michael Garcia said the quiet part out loud earlier this year that a 50 percent duty “has closed the U.S. market to Canadian steelmakers.” He repeated

October 30, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

Canada Leads G7 Critical Minerals Alliance Talks

Canada is trying to turn a loose coalition into a working supply club at the G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance. Provincial leaders endorsed the concept at Kananaskis in June 2025, then Ottawa told ministers to deliver milestones by year end. China still processes about 91 percent of rare earths, so the control problem writes itself. A signing ceremony is scheduled on October 31. With Tim Hodgson stating, “We will see this week many examples of us moving beyond talks to firm commitments.” Envoys Named, Ottawa Sets Terms All seven G7 capitals have now named envoys to the Alliance, which lets

October 24, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

Ontario Ad Torpedoes Talks, Diversify Now

Ontario’s C$75 million Reagan-themed advertisement handed Washington the perfect excuse to freeze tariff talks. Canada lost negotiating leverage overnight and now stares at a familiar problem: 75.9 percent of exports still ride the U.S. pipeline. The mechanism is simple: the ad poked Trump, Trump killed the talks, supply chains and investment plans stalled. Cut Reliance, Build Capacity U.S. trade tantrums are no longer shocks, they are structural. Ottawa must treat them as a permanent risk and shrink single-market exposure. Three levers exist. First, redirect federal financing, procurement, and tax credits toward firms that add capacity inside Canada rather than expand