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Canada’s Inflation Climbs to 2.4% as Gas Prices Surge to Record High

  Canada’s inflation rate accelerated to 2.4% in March , up from 1.8% in February, as the Iran war triggered the largest monthly gasoline price increase on record . Statistics Canada reported that gas prices surged 21.2% month‑over‑month , a supply‑shock response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and broader Middle East instability.  Energy costs were the dominant driver of March inflation, with overall energy prices rising 3.9% year‑over‑year after a sharp decline the month before. Excluding gasoline, inflation would have eased to 2.2% , highlighting how concentrated the price shock was.  Food inflation offered mixed relief: grocery prices rose 4.4% , while fresh vegetables jumped 7.8% due to difficult growing conditions. Restaurant inflation cooled sharply as last year’s tax‑holiday distortions fell out of the annual comparison.  Economists note that while headline inflation spiked, core measures remained relatively tame , giving the Bank of Canada ro...

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Tariff Shock: Overnight Gas Prices Set to Jump by At Least 10%

 

New U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican oil imports are poised to hit the gas pump hard. President Trump’s recent move—imposing a 10% duty on Canadian energy products and a steeper 25% tariff on Mexican oil—is expected to drive refining costs upward, with consumers likely to bear the brunt.

Experts warn that as U.S. refineries, particularly those in the Midwest and Gulf Coast, struggle to adjust to higher input costs from a trade-disrupted oil market, gas prices could spike by at least 10% overnight. “Expect fuel prices will rise noticeably if oil and refined products are not exempt,” said a leading analyst, emphasizing that the cost pressures will quickly transfer to consumers at the pump citeturn0search2.

The tariffs, intended to pressure trade partners on issues like illegal immigration and drug smuggling, come at a time when the U.S. imports roughly 4 million barrels per day of Canadian oil and over 450,000 barrels per day from Mexico. With refineries largely set up to process these specific types of crude, finding alternative sources won’t be an easy fix.

While some industry insiders hope that temporary exemptions might be negotiated to alleviate consumer pain, many remain skeptical. As the tariffs take effect, American drivers may soon notice a significant, immediate impact on fuel prices, adding a new challenge to an already complex economic landscape citeturn0search0.

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