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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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Trump Defends Tariffs Amidst Economic Uncertainty



In a recent address to Congress, President Donald Trump defended his tariff strategy, despite acknowledging the potential economic discomfort it may cause. Trump emphasized that the tariffs, which represent the largest increases in a century, are designed to generate significant revenue and rebalance what he perceives as unfair trading relationships. He assured Americans that the economic pain, manifesting as higher prices, would be a "little disturbance" that the nation could overcome.

Trump's speech, which lasted a record-setting 100 minutes, focused on his political strengths, including immigration policies and social issues, while spending relatively little time addressing consumer prices and inflation. He blamed high prices on his predecessor, Joe Biden, and offered few new ideas to lower costs.

The president's approval rating has declined in recent polls, and data shows new strains on the economy, including stagnating factory activity, simmering inflation, and declining consumer confidence. Despite these challenges, Trump remains committed to his tariff strategy, believing it will ultimately benefit the American economy.


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