Articles for tag: Ottawa

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 6, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

Carney Budget Skips Rebates, Sticks To Investment Plan

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget centres on a multi‑year pivot to capital spending and productivity, while leaving several consumer‑facing programs on ice. Ottawa set fiscal anchors to balance day‑to‑day operations by 2028 to 2029 and to keep the deficit‑to‑GDP ratio trending lower, and mapped out roughly C$280 billion of five‑year capital outlays meant to catalyse more than C$1 trillion in total investment. Alongside C$60 billion in savings and revenues over five years. The tilt is clear, spend less on operations, invest more in projects. Markets will parse how quickly those projects move from promise to shovels. Pharmacare Funding Left

November 5, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

Spending shift puts capital first in 2025

Ottawa’s fall budget, the first under Prime Minister Mark Carney, points almost every fiscal arrow at one target: capital formation. The package lifts the 2025-26 deficit to about C$78 billion while mapping C$280 billion in five-year investments for infrastructure, productivity and clean industry. It does so under a new Capital Budgeting Framework that treats those outlays as assets, not program costs. Capital lens steers program dollars Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne calls the framework “a stronger financial foundation” that will let Parliament see which dollars build productive capacity and which cover day-to-day operations. For corporate Canada, the distinction matters. Projects that

November 3, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

Ottawa Signs Seven Year NMG Offtake Term Sheet

Ottawa signed a seven-year term sheet with Nouveau Monde Graphite to place 30,000 tonnes a year of graphite concentrate with Canada and allied buyers. Of that total, 15,000 tpa are contracted on a take-or-pay basis at a fixed North American price. NMG also reset customer deals to keep its Phase 2 plan bankable, including 13,000 tpa of active anode material for Panasonic Energy and a 20,000 tpa concentrate line for Traxys. Ottawa Ties Money To Contracts The federal announcement bundled NMG into a first batch of 26 moves meant to unlock C$6.4 billion of critical mineral projects, with “offtake arrangements

October 27, 2025

Bay St Signal Editors

Provinces Cannot Run Trade, Ottawa Must Control

Ottawa is right to tell provinces to stay out of U.S. trade fights. Trump’s 10 percent tariff hike after Ontario’s ad shows one province can raise costs for the country. The hike adds a border tax, called a tariff, on goods at the U.S. line. Only the federal government can run international trade talks under section 91 of the Constitution Act, 1867, the trade and commerce power. Collection and Consequences A U.S. tariff hits at the port, then someone pays. Sometimes the Canadian exporter eats the cost to keep a U.S. customer. Sometimes the U.S. buyer pays more and buys