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U.S. Appeals Court Deals Major Blow to Trump’s Tariff Strategy

  U.S. President Donald Trump holds a chart next to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick at the White House in Washington on April 2. A federal appeals court has ruled that most of former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs are illegal, striking at the heart of one of his signature economic policies. In a 7-4 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found that Trump overstepped his authority under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) when he imposed broad “reciprocal” tariffs on numerous countries, as well as targeted levies against China, Canada, and Mexico. The court determined that IEEPA does not grant the president the power to impose tariffs, a responsibility the Constitution assigns to Congress. While the ruling invalidates the legal basis for the measures, the judges allowed the tariffs to remain in place until October 14 to give the Trump administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court. Trump had justified the tari...

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Boxing Day Sales See Smaller Crowds Despite GST Break

 

Retailers across the country experienced smaller crowds and cautious spending on Boxing Day this year, despite the federal government's GST holiday. While the tax break, which makes a variety of items GST-free for two months, did attract some shoppers, many consumers remained hesitant due to ongoing cost of living concerns.

Shoppers at Fairview Mall in Toronto, like Nakul Singal, took advantage of the deals but expressed that the tax break alone wasn't enough to offset the high costs of living**. Singal mentioned, "It's good to shop around during this time, but we're still struggling with expenses, especially housing.

Retail Council of Canada's Matt Poirier noted that businesses faced challenges implementing the tax break on short notice, and some older payment systems struggled to adapt.  An RBC Economics report also indicated that retail spending slowed in November, with holiday spending slightly below 2023 levels over the Black Friday weekend.

Despite these challenges, some retailers, like GameStop in north Toronto, saw an influx of customers eager to benefit from the tax holiday. Assistant store manager Joey Comia-Orellano said, "We've been getting shoppers before Boxing Day, and we expect it to get busier as consumers look to save with Boxing Day deals combined with the tax break."

Overall, while the GST break provided some relief, it wasn't enough to fully counteract the economic pressures faced by many Canadians.




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