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5 Things to Know Today: Tariffs, a CPI Surprise, and the Mortgage Rate Gap

  July 21, 2026 A new round of US tariffs, a surprise inflation dip, and a widening gap between fixed and variable mortgage rates are all moving in different directions today. Here's what's happening and what it means for your money. 1. Washington hits Canada with new 50% tariffs on everyday goods The White House has announced fresh 50% tariffs on a wide list of Canadian exports, including wine, dairy, furniture, hockey equipment, cement, and clothing. The move is framed as retaliation over Canada's dairy quotas, car import rules, and provincial bans on US alcohol. The tariffs take effect August 19 and apply even to goods that would normally qualify duty-free under CUSMA, though energy, potash, fish, and critical minerals are exempt. What it means for you: This round targets export industries, not imports into Canada, so it won't directly raise shelf prices here the way a Canadian tariff on US goods would. The bigger risk is indirect — job pressure in affected sectors ...

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US stocks hope for economic stability after record highs

 


The US stock market has been on a roll this year, with the S&P 500 index up by 17% and hovering around 6% below its record high from January 2022. The market’s performance in the coming weeks will depend on how confident investors are that the US economy will experience a soft landing..

A soft landing is a scenario where the economy slows down moderately without going into a recession . Morgan Stanley Research believes that the US economy can achieve a soft landing, given the current housing cycle, income and spending trends, a stable labor market, and receding inflation. However, banking-sector turmoil and a resulting credit squeeze still pose some recession risk.

The recent stock market rally has Wall Street re-examining the potential for the US economy to pull off a soft landing scenario. Goldman Sachs expects the economy to react positively to the Fed’s monetary policy in 2024.

It’s worth noting that the stock market is not always a reliable indicator of the economy’s health. Therefore, investors should be cautious and not celebrate too soon.



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