Fredericton rocked by four shooting deaths, including two police officers; suspect wounded

   Canada column for Sunday, Aug. 12/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The idyllic Atlantic Canada capital city of Fredericton, New Brunswick was shattered with the shooting deaths of four people including two police officers.

   Constables Robb Costello and Sara Burns were the first two officers to rush to the aid of two people they found shot outside an apartment building early Friday.

   As they approached the victims, they were shot by someone inside the building.

   Police Chief Leanne Fitch said suspect Matthew Raymond, 48, of Fredericton was seriously injured in a shooting standoff with police.

   At a news conference Saturday, police said they were investigating a connection between the shooter and Donald Robichaud, 42, and Bobbie Lee Wright, 32, who were killed.

   Costello, 45, was a 20-year police veteran with four children, while Burns, 43, had been an officer for two years and was married with three children.

   Neighbors reported shots being fired at 237 Brookside Drive and called the police.

   The incident happened four years after three Mounties were killed and two were wounded in Moncton, New Brunswick by a man who had a hatred for the police.

   Kelly Craft, U.S. ambassador to Canada, said she was “shocked and troubled” to hear of the Fredericton shooting.

Canada trade surplus with U.S. rises; dips with the world

   Canada column for Sunday, Aug. 5/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canada’s merchandise trade surplus with the United States rose in June to $4.1 billion with a record amount of goods shipped south.

   The U.S., which is Canada’s largest trading partner, received $37.1 billion in exports, an increase of 2.5 percent that was largely in cars and light trucks.

   At the same time, Canada’s imports from the U.S. rose 0.3 percent to $32.9 billion.

   Statistics Canada said the country’s merchandise trade deficit with the world dipped to $626 million, the smallest in 17 months.

   This improvement, up 4.1 percent in exports, to a record $50.7 billion was mainly because of higher exports of energy products and aircraft.

   Energy exports mostly in oil climbed 7.1 percent to $9.9 billion, the highest since October 2014.

   Overall, Canada’s imports were down 0.2 percent to $51.3 billion while transportation equipment and parts exports were 18.9 percent higher at a record $2.5 billion largely for business jets.

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Amazon creates buzz of activity by building, creating jobs in Canada

   Canada column for Sunday, July 29/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Amazon is on a tear across Canada creating new facilities and hiring thousands of workers.

   The latest announcement by the Seattle-based e-commerce retailer is a “fulfillment center” in Caledon, north of Toronto, to ship books, electronics and toys.

   It will cover one-million square feet and employ 800 people and is Amazon’s sixth facility in Ontario and ninth in Canada.

  It is expected to open by the end of next year along with a facility in Ottawa, adding more than 1,400 jobs to the province.

   Last April, Amazon said it will expand its Vancouver technology hub and create 3,000 new high-tech jobs.

   It will be in a new office tower on the site of the city’s old post office, opening in 2022.

   Amazon now employs 6,000 people at facilities in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec.

   Awaited is the decision by Amazon for the location of its second North American headquarters, with Toronto among the 20 finalists.

Canada still prefers a three-country NAFTA deal: Prime Minister Trudeau

   Canada column for Sunday, July 22/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reaffirmed the value of a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement as President Donald Trump again attacked Canada’s dairy tariffs.

   There are suggestions a deal might be reached between the U.S. and Mexico before one with Canada’s involvement.

   Trudeau said, however, an agreement with the three partners is preferred as being the best for all involved for “ensuring prosperity for workers across North America.”

   Mexican government officials will be in Washington next Thursday to resume talks but there is no plan for Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to join the discussion.

   Trudeau told reporters on Friday that a renegotiated NAFTA “is at the centre of everything we do” to create jobs and expand the economy.

   The U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs imposed on Canada were in response to the tariffs of up to 270 percent on dairy, Trump said.

   Under Canada’s supply-management system, there are domestic production quotas on dairy, eggs and poultry to keep prices stable and guarantee farmers a steady income.

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Interest rate hikes make living costs more for most Canadians

   Canada column for Sunday, July 15/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

   Canadians are paying more for variable rate mortgages and lines of credit as the central bank raised its key interest rates over free trade concerns.

   The Bank of Canada upped the rate by 0.25 percent to 1.5 percent, the fourth increase in a year as the economy heats up with strong employment gains.

   Canada’s major banks followed by increasing their prime-lending rates one quarter of a point to 3.7 percent.

   Bank Governor Stephen Poloz said the increase was prompted by “the various uncertainties we face” with trade tensions the biggest issue for the country.

   As for U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, there could be difficulties for some industries and workers but “the effect of these measures on Canadian growth and inflation is expected to be modest,” he said.

Auto, truck tariffs would threaten Canadian jobs, manufacturing

   Canada column for Sunday, July 8/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canada’s economy and jobs would take a direct hit should the United States carry out its threat to put tariffs on Canadian-made cars and trucks.

   The government retaliated with tariffs on July 1 against President Donald Trump’s new duties on Canadian steel and aluminum.

   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised quick action on the further threat of a 25-percent tariff on cars and trucks.

   The federal strategy on tariffs is to neither back down nor escalate the dispute, said Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

   A CIBC Capital Markets study predicted that U.S. tariffs at 25 percent on foreign auto sales in the U.S. would cut Canadian production by 400,000 vehicles a year.

   That number could rise to 900,000 fewer vehicles annually if such a tariff is aimed solely at Canada.

   The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association wants the government to resist retaliatory tariffs on autos as it would put up to 30,000 sales jobs at risk in the retail sector.

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Canada retaliates against U.S. tariffs including taxes on ketchup, whisky

   Canada column for Sunday, July 1/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   A ketchup war highlights the tiff between the United States and Canada over trade.

   Canada’s Liberal government, retaliating for President Donald Trump’s punishing tariffs on steel and aluminum, is hitting back with fees on $16.6 billion on products from the U.S. effective today (Sunday).

   At the same time, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $2-billion financial-aid package to support workers and industries in the vulnerable steel, aluminum and manufacturing sectors.

   Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland unveiled a list of U.S. products facing reciprocal tariffs already on steel and aluminum imports from the U.S.

   The items subject to new duties of 10 to 25 percent are from a wide range of sectors, including ketchup, maple syrup and whisky, lawn mowers, motorboats, playing cards and screws.

   Canada’s dollar-for-dollar countermeasures are reciprocal retaliation to “illegal” and “absurd” tariffs, Freeland said.

   Trudeau will visit Leamington, Ontario today – Canada’s 151st birthday – where U.S. based Heinz closed its ketchup plant with the loss of 700 jobs in 2014.

   French’s then began making its ketchup from those Canadian tomatoes and opened a plant in Toronto as Heinz now ships its U.S. ketchup north and faces new duties.