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5 Things to Know Today: Canada Enters Recession, Oil Slips on Iran Ceasefire Talk

Saturday, May 30, 2026 — Your quick-hit Canadian financial briefing for the day. 1.Canada Officially Meets the Definition of a Technical Recession Statistics Canada confirmed Friday that real GDP contracted 0.1% on an annualized basis in Q1 2026 — following a revised 1.0% drop in Q4 2025 . That's two straight quarters of negative growth, which meets the technical definition of a recession. The miss was a big one: economists had forecast growth of 1.5% . The main culprits were a surge in imports (up 2.9%, largely gold), declining business capital investment (down 0.7% — its fifth consecutive quarterly drop ), and weakness in resource extraction and construction. On a per-capita basis, GDP actually edged up 0.2% as Canada's population shrank for the second quarter in a row. Not everyone is ready to call it a full recession: some economists note that three of the four weak months were isolated, and early April data points to a sharp 0.4% rebound . Still, the numbers ...

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China's Tariffs Hit Canadian Goods: A $3.7 Billion Blow

China has implemented retaliatory tariffs on Canadian goods worth $3.7 billion, escalating trade tensions between the two nations. The new levies, effective March 20, target key Canadian exports, including rapeseed oil, peas, aquatic products, and pork. These tariffs impose a 100% surcharge on rapeseed oil and peas, while aquatic products and pork face a 25% duty.

The move follows Canada's imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, and aluminum products in October 2024. Beijing has criticized these measures as discriminatory and a violation of World Trade Organization rules.

Canadian industry leaders have expressed concern over the economic impact, particularly on the agricultural sector. Chris Davison, President of the Canola Council of Canada, described the tariffs as "devastating" for farmers and the broader value chain. The federal government has announced measures to support affected industries, including $1 billion in financing for the agriculture and food sectors.

This development underscores the growing strain in Canada-China trade relations, with both sides urging diplomatic engagement to resolve the dispute.

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