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Tariff Tensions Rattle Wall Street Ahead of Earnings and Inflation Data

Wall Street futures dipped Monday morning as investors braced for a volatile week marked by fresh tariff threats and a flood of economic data. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 30% tariff on imports from the European Union and Mexico , set to begin August 1, sent ripples through global markets. Major U.S. index futures— Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq —were all down roughly 0.3% in premarket trading. While the EU signaled a willingness to negotiate, the looming deadline has heightened uncertainty. Analysts suggest the market’s muted reaction reflects a growing belief that such threats are part of Trump’s negotiation strategy. This week’s economic calendar is packed, with June’s Consumer Price Index (CPI)  report due Tuesday, followed by wholesale inflation, retail sales, and industrial production data. These figures will be closely watched for signs of how tariffs may be influencing inflation and consumer behavior. Meanwhile, second-quarter earnings season kicks off , with ma...

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Tumultuous Fall Session Ends as Parliament Takes Holiday Break Amidst Political Upheaval

 

Members of Parliament are set to begin their holiday break later today, capping off a tumultuous fall sitting filled with non-confidence votes, filibusters, stalled legislation, a growing deficit, and the finance minister's resignation.

After Chrystia Freeland's bombshell departure from cabinet Monday morning, several Liberal MPs called for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside as well. Ontario MP Chad Collins left an evening caucus meeting telling reporters the Liberal caucus is divided and that the party needs a leadership race.

Dominic LeBlanc was sworn in as the new finance minister Monday, minutes after the government's fall economic statement was released. The economic update shows the deficit has grown to nearly $62 billion, far beyond the $40-billion target Freeland set earlier this year. The update includes $1.3 billion in new spending on measures to beef up the border in response to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's threat to impose 25 percent tariff threats on Canadian goods.

LeBlanc, who is also in charge of intergovernmental affairs and democratic institutions, says his main priority as finance minister will be to address affordability issues. He will also continue to oversee the public safety file, implementing new border measures, until Trudeau holds a broader cabinet shuffle. That's expected to happen soon in order to replace ministers who have announced they won't seek re-election.

Parliament is set to resume on Jan. 27, after Trump's inauguration. When that happens, the Liberals may not be able to rely on the support of the NDP on confidence matters. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called for Trudeau's resignation on Monday, but he stopped short of saying his caucus would vote to bring down the government. His party has so far voted three times with the Liberals on non-confidence motions this fall, ensuring the minority government's survival.

Much of the fall sitting was dominated in the House of Commons by a filibuster on a Conservative privilege motion related to misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund. This has stalled most legislation in the House since late September.


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