Canadian consumers spend as exports plunge

Trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., to Detroit, a major trade route for exports to the United States. Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP via Getty Images

With exports cratering and escalating uncertainty for businesses and consumers, the Canada–United States trade war has caused a widespread “fall off in momentum” across several touchpoints in Canada’s economy, according to the author of a new report.

“If I had to underline one common theme, it’s obviously uncertainty and what businesses and households are doing to mitigate those challenges posed by uncertainty,” said Guy Gellatly, chief economic advisor at Statistics Canada, about the report that highlights key economic developments since the start of the year.

Gellatly said the report pulls together the “maj