Global Trade

Over the past year, businesses were understandably telling us that they thought their investment prospects would improve in the six months ahead. However, the optimism is fading, and firms are shifting their focus from the economic recovery to concerns about the pandemic’s fallout.

Quick take  |  2-min read
November 25, 2021
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

Prospects for the U.S. economy are generally bright. Still, there will be some hurdles to overcome over the next few months. The solid growth should enable the economy to return to full employment by the end of next year or early in 2023.

Online experiences | 8-min read
November 3, 2021
Focus Area— Canadian Economics

After 2020’s devastating drop in economic activity, the global economy is now expanding at a healthy clip. But the recovery has been—and will continue to be—uneven. The path of the pandemic and differing policy support measures among the major economies, as well as vast differences in vaccine coverage, have resulted in increasing divergence among the world’s largest economies.

Online experiences | 24-min read
October 29, 2021
Focus Area— Canadian Economics

A recovering global economy means more demand for Canadian manufacturing products. Sustained growth in primary metal manufacturing (used as an input in construction and many manufacturing subsectors) is indicative of the global recovery underway. Demand for raw and intermediate materials has shot up, driving prices higher.

Quick take | 8-min read
October 14, 2021
Focus Area— Canadian Economics

August’s merchandise trade numbers were encouraging, but much of this was due to higher energy exports. The monthly numbers highlighted the ongoing pandemic-induced challenges that many non-energy sectors have been enduring, with the most prevalent being fractured production processes owing to supply chain disruptions. With the pandemic far from over, the outlook for Canada’s merchandise exports remains on shaky ground.

Quick take | 8-min read
October 5, 2021
Focus Area— Canadian Economics

COVID-19 has been the worst industry crisis since the advent of global tourism in the 1950s. It will take years to climb back to its pre-pandemic glory, but there are encouraging signs for Canadian tourism in the months ahead. With nearly half of Canadians are fully vaccinated. Canada’s economic recovery is also in full swing.

Online experience  |  8-min read
October 4, 2021
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

Tourism spending is sensitive to lockdowns. Despite showing some growth, the pandemic’s third wave and stringent restrictions on nonessential domestic travel kept tourism expenditures low during the second quarter. With the border closed and bans on nonessential inbound travel, international visitor expenditures in Canada also remained subdued.

Quick take | 2-min read
September 29, 2021
Focus Area— Canadian Economics

Ninety-nine per cent of plastics are produced from fossil fuels. As Canada and other advanced economies reach for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the emissions trajectory of petrochemical plastic producers needs a drastic change of course. With rising plastic pollution globally, this must be complemented by a transition to a circular economy. This dual transition will underpin the future of petrochemical plastic producers. These two elements of transition are complementary, yet distinct. The sustainability of plastics in our material world underscores this point.

Impact paper | 30-min read
August 17, 2021
Focus Area— Sustainability

Inflation accelerated again in May, due mainly to “base effects” on gasoline prices which recovered from the plunge last spring. Higher prices for consumer goods, including cars, new homes and food also contributed to the strong inflation figure last month. Going forward, we expect strong consumer spending coupled with supply shortages will keep inflation hot for the rest of 2021.

Quick take  |  2-min read
June 16, 2021
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

In 2020, Canada’s real exports plunged, as the global pandemic led to a collapse in demand from all of its major trading partners. The recovery in the global economy, attributable to the widespread distribution of vaccines and a reopening of economies, will help Canada’s exports rebound growth this year and in 2022.

Impact paper  |  24-min read
May 27, 2021
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

COVID-19’s impact on immigration has been extraordinary. Immigrants who arrived or settled in Canada during the pandemic are distinct from previous groups of permanent residents. Understanding what makes this cohort unique is key to helping us identify their unique assets and tackle the integration challenges they may face. It also helps leaders across the immigration sector plan for the future and offset the negative impacts of the pandemic.

Online experience | 8-min read
May 20, 2021
Focus Area— Immigration

Real GDP posted a 2.3 per cent gain in the fourth quarter of last year, leaving overall economic activity down 5.4 per cent in 2020—by far Canada’s steepest recession in modern times. While the economy recovered over the second half of 2020, economic activity has again slowed in recent months.

Op-ed  |  4-min read
March 3, 2021
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

The agri-food sector is central to Manitoba’s economy and, by far, its largest export sector. It includes agriculture and food manufacturing. Manitoba’s agriculture goods, such as cereals and oil seeds, account for the largest share of the province’s overall agri-food exports. They are also its most globally competitive agri-food products.

Impact paper  |  45-min read
February 23, 2021
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a massive toll on the global and Canadian economies. The government response has been unprecedented, with a quick rollout of fiscal and monetary policy measures that have bolstered household incomes, supported wages, and provided cheap credit to households and businesses.

Issue briefing  |  15-min read
February 18, 2021
Focus Area—Canadian Economics

January’s inflation inched up 1.0 per cent on a year-over-year basis, thanks to rising gasoline prices and surging housing prices. We expect that as restrictions ease and economic activity rebounds, inflation will gradually recover over the coming quarters.

Quick take  |  15-min read
February 17, 2021
Focus Area—Canadian Economics