China won’t talk if U.S. doesn’t show respect, ex-official says

By Josh Xiao and Haslinda Amin

April 15, 2025

Zhu Guangyao 

Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

China will only engage in talks with the U.S. if its leaders show respect toward Beijing, according to a former top Chinese economic official.

“If the U.S. wants China to totally accept the U.S. proposal, to accept the U.S. conditionality, I think there’s no negotiation,” Zhu Guangyao, who was China’s Vice Minister of Finance from 2010 to 2018, said in an interview in Singapore.

Zhu said while technical teams from both countries remain in contact, talks over Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs must be based on mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and a win-win mindset. He didn’t elaborate on what specific actions that would entail.

China and the U.S. have spent the past two weeks locked in an escalating trade war, with both sides piling on new tariffs and raising barriers to trade. Chinese imports to the U.S. now face tariffs of at least 145%, while American goods headed to China are being hit with a 125% rate — levels so high they’re likely to bring trade between the two largest economies to a near standstill.

The impact is expected to hit China hard. Its economy is already under pressure from deflation, sluggish consumer demand and a prolonged property slump. Economists have been downgrading their forecasts for China’s growth this year, with UBS Group AG the most pessimistic among major banks, predicting the economy will expand just 3.4% as U.S. tariffs choke exports.

Zhu said China has “full confidence” in meeting its growth target of around 5% this year, pointing out that it’s the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the country is on track to achieve the goals laid out in it.

He was also optimistic that domestic consumption will rise this year and said China has “full capacity” to ramp up spending if necessary.

Zhu served as deputy finance minister until his retirement in 2018, overseeing the Customs Tariff Department and playing a key role in U.S.-China trade negotiations. He was most recently a counselor to the State Council.
‘Not There Yet’

Chinese officials have repeatedly said they’re open to negotiations, but not under pressure or threats. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Trump expects talks “at some point,” though “we’re not there yet.” The president has said he’s waiting for China’s call and described Xi as a friend for whom he has “great respect,” highlighting his preference for negotiating leader-to-leader.

Zhu criticized the U.S. tariffs as being highly damaging to China’s national interests and said Beijing has a long-standing position of not giving in to external pressure. He added that coercion from Washington would be ineffective in resolving the dispute.

When asked if China might sell off its Treasury holdings in response to the tariffs, Zhu said the Chinese government is a “very responsible investor” that values global market stability. China, which owns about $700 billion in US debt, is the second-largest foreign creditor after Japan, raising concerns it could use those holdings as leverage.

“However, this is based on mutual understanding, mutual respect and mutual cooperation,” Zhu said, referring to China’s stance on its Treasury holdings. “I really hope US and China can, based on mutual respect, return to negotiation.”

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

As Trump considers auto tariffs pause, parts exemptions could be key for U.S. industry

By The Associated Press
 April 15, 2025 

Vehicles for export are parked at a port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

DETROIT — U.S. President Donald Trump hinted that he might temporarily relieve the auto industry from “permanent” tariffs he previously imposed on the business. The president didn’t specify how long the potential pause would be or what it would entail, but the auto sector is awaiting how rules might change on 25 per cent tariffs based on U.S. parts, if duties remain on assembled vehicles.

Experts have said short pauses aren’t likely to give carmakers enough of an opportunity to adjust their vast global supply chains, though parts exemptions would certainly bolster the industry amid Trump’s trade war whiplash.

Trump told reporters Monday that automakers “need a little bit of time because they’re going to make them here, but they need a little bit of time. So I’m talking about things like that,” referring to relocation production from Canada, Mexico and elsewhere. The news drove global auto stocks up Tuesday.

Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents domestic auto companies Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, said in a statement: “There is increasing awareness that broad tariffs on parts could undermine our shared goal of building a thriving and growing American auto industry, and that many of these supply chain transitions will take time.”

Trump first announced 25 per cent automotive tariffs late March; the tariffs for completed vehicles took effect on April 3, while the parts tariffs were set to start 30 days later.

“The one-month delay is intended to give the U.S. government time to work out rules to exempt the value of automotive parts that contains U.S.-made materials, which will not be subject to the tariffs,” according to insights from law firm Foley & Lardner, noting a “carveout” for parts certified under regional trade pact, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The Department of Commerce is expected to determine “a system to calculate non-U.S. content” by May 3.

At the same time, automakers are navigating steel and aluminum imports levies of at least 25 per cent; 25 per cent duties on all goods from Canada and Mexico; 10 per cent global tariffs and reciprocal tariffs around the world — paused for 90 days, and both of which automotive are exempt from; and tariffs on China at 145 per cent.

The United Auto Workers labor union, and Autos Drive America, which represents foreign automakers, did not respond to requests for comment.

The on-again, off-again tariffs have already wrought havoc for any number of global sectors but especially the auto industry, which relies on a complex network of parts from around the world.

The American and European car industries are “severely affected by tariffs. On top of the 25 per cent tariff imposed on vehicles, we are impacted by layer upon layer of additional compounding tariffs including those on aluminum, steel, and parts,” Stellantis Chairman John Elkann said in the company’s annual general meeting Tuesday, noting at the same time, the Chinese auto market’s potential for growth this year.

“But it’s not too late if the U.S. and Europe take the necessary urgent actions to promote an orderly transition,” Elkann added. “We are encouraged by what U.S. President Trump indicated yesterday on tariffs for the car industry.”

Though Trump says his tariffs are intended to bolster U.S. auto manufacturing, automakers aren’t able to reconfigure their sourcing in short periods of time, experts say.

Because of the nature of the business and the length of time it takes to design product and get manufacturing up and running, it could take years to reevaluate sources of supply and establish new assembly operations.

“Flipping upside down a global supply chain that has been in place for decades cannot happen overnight for the auto industry,” Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a research note, “and we strongly believe the clear right move would be to focus on finished cars made in the U.S.” versus auto parts.

The tariffs as they currently stand are sure to cost automakers billions of dollars, impact new and used vehicle supply and raise prices for car buyers at dealerships by thousands of dollars.

Already, some auto manufacturers have paused operations in Canada and Mexico and temporarily laid off workers in the U.S.

Some have also attempted to get ahead of the impact of tariffs through appeals to customers. In rare moves, Ford, Hyundai, Genesis and Jeep-maker Stellantis began offering employee pricing programs for a limited time to reach buyers before what will most likely be steep price hikes.

Car buyers might be better positioned for an extra few weeks, depending on the latest policy change.

Alexa St. John, The Associated Press

Tariff uncertainty foils ‘slam dunk rebound year’ for national home sales: CREA

By The Canadian Press
April 15, 2025

The number of homes that changed hands across the country in March was down 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, as the Canadian Real Estate Association downgraded its forecast for home sales activity in 2025. A real estate sign is shown in Vaughan, Ont. on Thursday Sept. 12, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paige Taylor White

The Canadian Real Estate Association has downgraded its forecast for home sales activity in 2025, while the number of homes that changed hands across the country in March was down 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago.

The association says Canadian home sales in March also fell 4.8 per cent on a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis from February, as potential buyers stayed on the sidelines amid concerns over tariffs and economic uncertainty.

CREA is now expecting a total of 482,673 residential properties to be sold throughout the year, essentially unchanged from 2024, but marking a steep cut from its previous forecast in January of an 8.6 per cent increase from last year.

The national average home price is forecast to decrease a slight 0.3 per cent on an annual basis to $687,898 in 2025, which would be around $30,000 lower than predicted in early January.

CREA senior economist Shaun Cathcart says that in short order, Canada’s housing market has “gone from a slam dunk rebound year to treading water at best.”


In March, the national average sale price fell 3.7 per cent compared with a year earlier to $678,331.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2025.

Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press

CMHC reports annual pace of housing starts slowed in March

By The Canadian Press
Published: April 15, 2025 

Townhouses under construction are seen in Delta, B.C.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

OTTAWA — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in March slowed compared with February.

The national housing agency says the seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts came in at 214,155 units in March, down from 221,405 in February.

The change came as the annual pace of starts in centres with a population of 10,000 or greater fell 2.8 per cent to 203,285 compared with 209,093 in February.

The annual pace of starts of single-detached homes in centres with a population of 10,000 or greater rose one per cent to 43,012 in March, while the rate of starts of all other homes in centres with a population of 10,000 or greater fell four per cent to 160,273.

The annual pace of rural starts was estimated at 10,870 in March.

The six-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate fell 0.7 per cent in March to 235,316.

The Canadian Press

Canadian Clothing companies fear Trump tariffs will leave them worse for wear

By The Canadian Press
 April 15, 2025 

Nina Kharey poses in this undated handout photo. Kharey, a Calgary-based designer behind luxury womenswear line Nonie and workwear brand Folds, says she wakes up every morning with anxiety because of U.S. President Donald Donald Trump's tariffs. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO

TORONTO — When Nina Kharey wakes every morning, the first thing she does is search online for U.S. President Donald Trump in hopes that the global trade war he sparked is dissipating.

Most of the time, her hunt ends in disappointment.

“It’s a lot of uncertainty at the moment,” said Kharey, a Calgary-based designer who runs luxury womenswear line Nonie and workwear brand Folds. “I wake up every day right now with anxiety.”

The refrain is similar across the fashion industry because of its global nature: material, buttons, zippers and more often zig-zag across tariff-targeted Asia before being turned into garments there or sent on to North America. The weblike nature of apparel supply chains can leave Canadian brands dinged by tariffs if they ship goods from foreign partners directly into the U.S. for manufacturing or distribution.

In addition to Canada, Trump has imposed tariffs on most other countries including European fashion meccas France and Italy as well as places with low labour costs and easy access to textiles such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey and Vietnam.


Most of these countries were whacked with varying double-digit tariffs before recently receiving a 90-day reprieve and instead being hit with a 10 per cent duty, at least temporarily.

Clothing production powerhouse China has been subject to a 145 per cent tariff from the U.S., which was not lifted, and lobbed a 125 per cent levy back.

“I have many colleagues that are in the fashion industry, and so many of them do get their products made in China and it’s really difficult to hear their struggles,” said Kharey.

“The bigger guys, they’ll figure out a way to get through this. It’ll be hard for them, but it’s the small businesses right now where it almost feels like they’re like pawns.”

Daniel Baer, a partner at consulting firm EY Canada focused on retail, said apparel companies of all sizes with products passing through countries ensnared by tariffs are doing whatever they can to cope.

For many, that means rethinking where they source components from, where they manufacture clothing and what route products take to make it to shoppers.

“But these types of changes are not changes you can do on the flick of a switch or do overnight,” he warned.

Kharey knows rerouting production is time-consuming because Folds recently moved production from Canada to Tunisia, which was subject to a 28 per cent tariff from the U.S. until Trump put a 90-day pause on the duty and replaced it with a 10 per cent charge.

Even though shipping from Tunisia to Canada is not impacted by those tariffs, Kharey imagines Folds won’t be unscathed.

“The costs in Tunisia probably will go up, especially since one of their biggest main exports is textiles, and that’s where we are,” Kharey said.

“We have to juggle, do we leave our pricing where it is and see how this goes or increase our pricing?”


For now, she’s not hiking prices.

Neither is Hayley Elsaesser, a Canadian fashion designer who runs a self-named label.

The company is “doing everything we can to avoid” raising prices, because with “inflation and the rising cost of living, it’s something that affects our customers deeply, and we’re always mindful of that,” she said in an email.

Baer thinks apparel brands coping with the trade tensions will eventually have to pass on the costs of the tariff war to consumers, especially if Trump follows through with his promise to remove the de minimis exemption on May 2. The legal mechanism allows many goods valued at or under $800 to enter the U.S. without paying duties.

Many clothiers have staved off immediate increases because their spring and summer inventory is already in hand and they’re placing orders for fall. That could mean higher prices will hit just in time for back-to-school shopping, Baer said.

By then, consumers’ ability to spend may be even lower than it is now.

Its current, depressed level is a worry for Elsaesser, who called it the “biggest impact” her business is seeing.

“We have customers all over the world, and there’s a lot of concern and uncertainty about how things are changing,” she said.

When consumer confidence dips, Baer said shoppers tend to trade down to more affordable brands, seek more discounts or go without discretionary purchases altogether.

While parents may not have the option of avoiding purchases for kids outgrowing their clothing, adults may decide to stick with what’s already in their closet for several more seasons, weighing on retailers.

“Can I wear this jacket two or three or four more seasons? For sure, I could,” Baer offered as an example.

“Would I like to wear two or three or four more seasons? No, because it will be out of fashion ... but nothing will prevent me from doing that because it is discretionary.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2025.

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press

‘Everything is very expensive’: Tariffs, cost of living are major concerns in P.E.I.

By Sarah Plowman

 April 15, 2025 

Prince Edward Island's provincial flag 

. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

As part of CTV News’ coverage of the 37-day federal election, journalists will be telling stories from communities across the country to showcase issues that matter to Canadians in this election. Our next dispatch is from CTV News reporter Sarah Plowman in Summerside, P.E.I.

With a population of 17,000 people, Summerside, Prince Edward Island can feel like a town, but the province’s second largest city is a hub for the region. To find voters, CTV News headed to the community hub, Credit Union Place, where people had the election on their minds in between swimming, exercising, and bowling.

Stephen and Merryman Porter live a half hour away in Saint Ann, P.E.I.

Stephen said he’s particularly concerned for young people this election, especially when it comes to jobs and housing.

“I’m equally concerned for elderly people and the most vulnerable people that have struggled to find great jobs to be able to support their families,” Stephen said. “I’d be looking for parties that have a platform that really addresses affordability and housing issues.”

The couple agreed they want to see more civility in political conversations, especially between politicians.

“The mudslinging really needs to go. Let’s hear what you’re bringing to the table, your policies, and what do you have to offer,” said Merryman.

CTV News also spoke with Lou Callaghan, whose top priorities are the economy, dropping the consumer carbon tax and building the country up, especially the military.

“It’s a joke, the equipment we have,” he said. “If not, people or countries like Russia, or whoever, can walk all over us, including the United States.”

Ed Nickerson, who was reading the newspaper in the lobby, said the bulk of the conversations he’s had about the election have focused on U.S. President Donald Trump.

“I want a government that’s going to stand up to Trump,” said Nickerson. “The person that’s going to not follow Trump, but be a leader and work for Canada.”

Speed walking around the track was Kenny Gallant, 70, who said health care matters most, followed by Trump and tariffs.

“New doctors, more doctors, more nurses,” Gallant said, adding he’s retired but works a part-time job and is concerned about the cost of living.

“Our taxes are high. The cost of living is high. Everything is very expensive, food. That just has to stop. No one on low income like myself can afford this.”

Others want change 20 minutes from Summerside, at the Confederation Bridge.

To leave the island, drivers must pay a $50 toll.

“Reducing the bridge toll or getting rid of it would be good for islanders,” said Fraser White, who added he also thought housing was a big issue.

“The housing rates are really high here on the island. I know they are everywhere.”

Vicki Marchbank, who was waiting to go bowling, says she thinks there’s a lot that needs to be fixed in Canada these days, including health care, homelessness, the minimum wage, education, and defence. Trump and tariffs are also top of mind.

While she said there’s a lot that’s currently wrong with Canada, she also points out it’s a strong country.

“Canada is a very well-established country. For years we’ve sat back and let other countries think we’re weak. We’re not. We have good, strong people. If you go back through history, all the wars going on, they always called on Canadians,” Marchbank said.

The bowler added she’s tired of listening to the politicians because to her, they focus more on each other than the issues.

“They’re putting other people down. They’re just ranting and raving. Like, stick to the issues,” said Marchbank.

“Canadians are not stupid. We know there’s things they cannot do until they get into parliament, until it goes through legislation and it gets passed.”

City of Summerside’s wants

Dan Kutcher, the mayor of City of Summerside, said he wants whoever takes office to make sure municipalities are adequately funded as cities take on more and face pressures that come with growth.

“I don’t think there’s one municipality across Canada that thinks it’s fully funded,” said Kutcher.

He notes Summerside has faced the same challenges as other places when it comes to housing and homelessness, but being on the ocean, the community must also figure out how it will adapt to a changing climate and rising sea levels.

“How do we prepare for what is really, really important?” he said. “Funding mechanisms weren’t originally set up for that.”

Summerside is unique in that it owns an electric utility that generates 60-65 per cent of the city’s power with large solar and wind farms.

The city has also been exploring building a hydrogen generator as a way to possibly transfer some of that energy, and is seeking to partner with the provincial and federal governments.


Sarah Plowman

Journalist, CTV National News

Canada tech CEOs urge ‘real debate’ on economy ahead of vote

By Randy Thanthong-Knight
Published: April 12, 2025 

Louis Tetu, chairman and chief executive officer of Coveo, during the All In event in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. The event aims to connect people to real-life applications of Canadian AI in business, research and ethical pursuits. (Graham Hughes/Bloomberg)

Canadian technology leaders are calling for a “real debate” about the country’s economic future when party leaders discuss their views on stage next week.

“For too long, Canadian government leaders have prioritized short-term economic interests and photo ops over investment into Canada’s economic well-being,” reads a letter signed by 150 chief executive officers including Coveo Solutions Inc.’s Louis Têtu, Stingray Group Inc.’s Eric Boyko and Lightspeed Commerce Inc.’s Dax Dasilva.

“Please show Canadians the choices you plan to make to build a more sovereign, more resilient and more prosperous Canada.”

The two top candidates vying to form the next government — Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre — will join three other party leaders for debates on Wednesday and Thursday in Montreal. Opinion polls suggest Carney is on track to win the majority of seats in the election set for April 28.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s economy and sovereignty are top issues on voters’ minds.

That has partly boosted popularity for the incumbent Liberals, who are now leading by about six percentage points in opinion surveys. The dynamic has also eroded support for the Conservatives, who had dominated polls for much of last year by blaming the government for an influx of immigrants, rising crime, the high cost of living and a housing crisis.

“This election is happening in the middle of a global economic upheaval,” said Benjamin Bergen, president of the Council of Canadian Innovators, which published the letter Friday. “We’re watching capital markets crash and tariffs return, and yet none of the leaders have laid out a serious vision for how Canada will build wealth and protect its economic sovereignty in the years ahead.”

“This isn’t a time for status quo thinking or recycled talking points — we need bold industrial strategy, clear commitments to domestic capacity, and leadership that’s ready to meet this moment,” Bergen added.

Poilievre touted his economic platform on Friday, which leans heavily on massive tax cuts and deregulation to unleash business investment, especially in natural resources projects. Carney, meantime, has promised to spend billions on infrastructure to diversify Canada’s trade away from the U.S. and turn the country into a “superpower” in clean and conventional energy.

Other signatories include Pierce Ujjainwalla of Knak Inc., Meti Basiri of ApplyBoard and one-time Liberal leadership hopeful Frank Baylis.

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

Tariffs and Trump loom large in Ontario’s agenda-setting throne speech

By The Canadian Press
Published: April 15, 2025

Ontario Premier Doug Ford holds a press conference regarding the new tariffs that the United States has placed on Canada, at Queen's Park in Toronto on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

The economic uncertainty created by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs permeated Ontario’s throne speech Tuesday, a ceremonial offering intended to set the new provincial government’s agenda and tone.

The speech, delivered by Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont, kicks off the new session of Premier Doug Ford’s third majority government. It leaned heavily on the theme of Ford’s successful election campaign, which tied the tariff threat to nearly every sector, from mining to manufacturing to housing.

“For decades, Ontario and Canada have relied on free trade with the United States to deliver unprecedented economic growth and prosperity,” the government said in its speech.

“The last few months, however, have taught us that we can no longer assume the benefits of our economic partnership with the United States. The strength of Ontario’s economy and the social programs it funds can no longer depend on a partner that has proven itself to be fundamentally unreliable. Instead, your government will build an economy that is more competitive, more resilient and more self-reliant.”

The speech touted the importance of new railways, highways, airports and seaports, as well as new pipelines, promised an investment of “unprecedented amounts in new energy production,” and signalled upcoming legislation in trade and mining.


It also included Ford’s intention to get a tunnel built under Highway 401 to tackle gridlock in the Greater Toronto Area, a plan not yet costed out, but to which the premier appears fully committed.

The government’s first bill is expected to be on interprovincial trade, as Ford has touted the benefits of breaking down internal barriers in order to bolster the economy against the external economic threats.

“Goods produced and services provided in other provinces and territories will be treated the same in Ontario, provided other provinces and territories do the same,” the government said in the speech.

“Hard-earned credentials from other provinces and territories will be recognized automatically, ensuring highly skilled workers from elsewhere in Canada can get on the job faster, fill key gaps in Ontario’s labour force and help grow our economy.”

The government’s second order of business, the speech said, will be to table a bill that would give the government authority to designate regions where multiple critical mineral deposits are present, including the Ring of Fire region, as regions of “strategic importance.”

“Within the boundaries of these regions, proponents that meet high operating, safety and environmental standards will benefit from significantly streamlined permitting and approvals, alongside an uninterrupted commitment to meeting duty to consult requirements,” the government said in its speech.

The government is also indicating it will spend more on housing-enabling infrastructure, work with municipalities to lower development charges, and standardize the cost and timelines of building homes, but one key housing promise notably absent.

The speech said the government will work to “unlock new homes,” but without a mention of the goal of 1.5 million homes that the government used to frequently tout.

Ontario has not yet met any of its annual targets toward that goal, though it came very close in 2023 after it started counting long-term care beds. Data published Tuesday by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation showed that housing starts in Ontario in March were down 46 per cent, year over year, for communities with 10,000 or more people.

Municipalities will also get more help to end homeless encampments, the speech said. The government intends to re-introduce legislation it tabled at the end of the last session, but did not pass, toward achieving that goal.

“Your government stands firm in its commitment to do whatever is necessary, and to use whatever legal tools might be required, to help municipalities get the job done,” the speech said.


This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2025.

Federal Election 2025

Liberals most likely to deliver on gun control, says PolySeSouvient

By The Canadian Press

April 15, 2025 

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante, centre and Nathalie Provost, left, survivor of the 1989 femicide at Ecole Polytechnique and spokesperson for PolySeSouvient, a gun-control advocacy organization, hold signs with a student group during a press conference about stricter gun control in Montreal on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

OTTAWA — An influential gun-control group says Mark Carney’s Liberals are the ones most likely to deliver additional measures needed to prevent firearm-related violence.

In a media statement issued today, PolySeSouvient cites past Liberal moves to ban firearms considered too dangerous for hunting or sport shooting, as well as measures to protect women and children from gun violence.

The group says the Liberals are the party most likely to follow through with a plan to remove banned guns from circulation, outlaw large-capacity magazines and fully implement measures related to domestic violence.

PolySeSouvient made the assessment public at a news conference in Montreal after sending a list of questions about firearm policy to the main political parties.

The group says that while the Liberals, NDP, Bloc Québécois and Greens all committed to completing a planned gun buyback and implementing other outstanding measures, only the commitments made by the Liberals, Bloc and Greens are credible.

PolySeSouvient also says a vote for the Bloc would guarantee strong support from at least one opposition party for the Liberals’ gun control measures.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

Poll finds many Quebecers say Canada can deal with Trump better than sovereign Quebec

By The Canadian Press
 April 15, 2025 

President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd as he departs an event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on April 14, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Nearly half of Quebecers say an independent Quebec would have much less influence than a united Canada in dealing with the threat from the United States, according to a new poll.

Conducted by Léger for the Association of Canadian Studies, the panel survey also found that almost half of respondents said the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump are a threat to the French language in Quebec.

“The idea that we sometimes hear from Quebec thought leadership that Quebec would be more influential on its own … doesn’t seem to be a strong selling point,” said Jack Jedwab, the association’s president.

“When Donald Trump talks about the 51st state, he doesn’t seem to acknowledge that there’s a Quebec nation.”

Léger surveyed 433 respondents in Quebec on April 5 and 6.





A margin of error cannot be assigned to panel surveys.

Results from the poll, released Tuesday, show that 48 per cent of respondents agreed that an independent Quebec would carry less weight than Canada in dealing with the Trump administration.

That includes nearly 40 per cent of voters for the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois, and majorities of Liberal, Conservative and NDP voters.

The findings support recent poll results that show the Liberals surging in Quebec at the expense of the Bloc Québécois, who could be at risk of winning fewer than the 12 seats they need to maintain official party status after the April 28 election.

Interest in Quebec sovereignty has also waned since Trump began threatening tariffs and annexation.

A Léger survey in February showed support for independence had dropped to 29 per cent, around the lowest level the polling firm had ever measured.

Jedwab said the results present a challenge to the Bloc’s sovereigntist message, if even the party’s own voters believe “we need to act together” to take on Trump’s threats.

About 32 per cent of respondents did not agree that an independent Quebec would have less influence than a united Canada, and the rest said they didn’t know.

The poll also found that 46 per cent of those surveyed believe the French language in Quebec is threatened by Trump’s policies, including nearly 70 per cent of Bloc voters.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration listed Quebec’s controversial language law, Bill 96, as a trade irritant.

The U.S. is raising concerns about changes to trademark rules on product labels that will require generic terms to be translated into French.




Trump has also signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the U.S.

“(These are) strong reminders that in some ways the rest of Canada provides sort of a buffer for the protection of French,” Jedwab said.

Language rights are likely to come up in the French-language leaders’ debate, which will take place on Wednesday.

Early in the campaign, Liberal Leader Mark Carney said he would intervene in a Supreme Court of Canada challenge of Bill 96, though he later clarified he objects only to the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause, and he supports the need to protect the French language.

The notwithstanding clause — Section 33 of the Charter — blocks challenges to legislation on the grounds it violates certain fundamental freedoms.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh have said they would not intervene in a challenge of Bill 96.

The new survey found that just 25 per cent of Quebecers believe the Quebec government should ignore a Supreme Court opinion on the language law, including 47 per cent of Bloc voters.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2025.

 

U.S. economy is set to lose billions as foreign tourists stay away

By Bloomberg News
 April 15, 2025.

The U.S. economy is set to lose billions of dollars in revenue in 2025 from a pullback in foreign tourism and boycotts of American products, adding to a growing list of headwinds keeping recession risk elevated.

Arrivals of non-citizens to the U.S. by plane dropped almost 10 per cent in March from a year earlier, according to data published Monday by the International Trade Administration.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimates in a worst-case scenario, the hit this year from reduced travel and boycotts could total 0.3 per cent of gross domestic product, which would amount to almost US$90 billion.(US international Trade Administr)

Foreign tourism has been a tailwind for the U.S. in recent years as the cessation of pandemic-era restrictions sparked a resurgence of international travel. But many potential visitors are now rethinking their vacation plans amid increased hostility at the border, rising geopolitical frictions and global economic uncertainty.

One of them is Curtis Allen, a Canadian videographer who cancelled an upcoming U.S. vacation after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed punitive tariffs on his home country and suggested it should become the 51st U.S. state. Allen and his partner have been on multiple camping trips to Oregon over the years, but this year, they will be travelling around British Columbia instead.

“We’re not just staying home,” said Allen, 34. “We’re going to go spend the same money somewhere else.”

Allen’s hesitance doesn’t stop there. He cancelled his Netflix subscription and is actively avoiding American imports at the grocery store.

“Now it takes us double the time, because we’re looking at where the products came from,” he said.

International travelers spent a record $254 billion in the U.S. last year, according to ITA figures. Coming into 2025, the outlook was positive: The ITA projected in early March that the U.S. would welcome 77 million visitors this year, just shy of the 2019 record, before pushing to a new high in 2026.

But those estimates came out just before stories of harsh detentions at U.S. airports, ensnaring travellers from countries like France and Germany, started making headlines. Canadians, meanwhile – the largest group of foreign tourists in the U.S. – are choosing to stay put as Trump ramps up attacks on the country’s economy and sovereignty.

Almost $20 billion in retail spending from international tourists in the U.S. may be at risk, according to a Bloomberg Intelligence analysis.

Early signs of a sharp pullback are already showing up. Airfares, hotel rates and car rental costs fell in March, according to a monthly U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report on consumer prices published April 10. Economists at Goldman Sachs and HSBC Holdings Plc said lower demand, including from foreign travellers, probably played a role.

Omair Sharif, president of Inflation Insights, noted the decline in hotel rates was driven by an almost 11 per cent drop in the Northeast in particular, possibly a result of fewer Canadians travelling there.

“Given what we know about how much Canadian travel has fallen off, that’s potentially a bit worrying for that region,” Sharif said.

Summer season

The timing is “very interesting” for Rainbow Air Helicopter Tours in Niagara Falls — which just invested $25 million in a new building, an enhanced fleet and a virtual reality attraction ahead of the busy summer season — said Patrick Keyes, the firm’s sales and marketing manager. “We are waiting to see the fallout,” he said.

Canadian flight reservations to the U.S. are down 70 per cent through September versus the same period last year, according to a report by OAG Aviation Worldwide. Meanwhile U.S. summer bookings are also down 25 per cent among European tourists at Accor SA hotels — which Chief Executive Officer Sébastien Bazin said could be attributed to border detentions creating a “bad buzz” and diverting tourists to other destinations.

“U.S. tariff announcements and a more aggressive stance toward historical allies have hurt global opinions about the U.S.,” Goldman Sachs economists Joseph Briggs and Megan Peters said in a March 31 report.

“This headwind provides another reason — in addition to the more direct negative impacts of tariffs and drag on exports from foreign retaliation that are already built into our U.S. GDP forecast — why U.S. GDP growth will likely underperform consensus expectations in 2025,” they said.

Despite the worsening outlook, Oregon’s tourism commission — known as Travel Oregon — is continuing efforts to attract foreign visitors, said CEO Todd Davidson. His team just came back from a trip to pitch the state at an adventure tourism conference in Vancouver, and in the coming weeks they will be hosting sales and marketing partners from places like the U.K., India and Brazil.

At the same time, they’re also contemplating whether the commission will need to shift its strategy more toward domestic visitors as the situation unfolds.

“Oregon is not and will not take its eye off those international markets,” Davidson said. “We will be here when our international visitors feel that they are ready to return.”

Augusta Saraiva, Bloomberg News

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