Manufacturers report less tariff impact in May: Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada says fewer manufacturers report being affected by tariffs in May than in April.

The agency says total manufacturing sales fell 0.9% to $68.7 billion in May, marking the lowest level since January 2022.

However, it says respondents to its survey indicated U.S. tariffs were having a smaller impact on Canadian manufacturing in May than the previous month.

Nearly half of manufacturers reported being hit by tariffs in May — about 10 percentage points lower than in April, when the bulk of U.S. trade levies took effect.

The May data does not capture U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to double steel and aluminum tariffs in June, nor his recently announced plans to impose 50% tariffs on copper imports.

Manufacturers told Statistics Canada they were dealing with the tariff impacts mainly through higher prices and changes in demand.

The Canadian Press

The Canadian Press is a national news agency headquartered in Toronto and founded in 1917.