
@ the Bell: Tensions abroad, caution at home
Canada's main stock index moved lower on Thursday weighed down by losses in consumer discretionary stocks, as investors remained cautious amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty over potential US involvement in the conflict.
Traders are now looking ahead to Friday's release of Canadian retail sales data for April, which will offer insights into whether consumer spending has remained strong despite ongoing concerns about tariffs.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump added to global uncertainty by refusing to clarify whether the United States would support Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, stating, 'I may do it. I may not do it.'
US markets were closed for the 'Juneteenth' holiday.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.97 cents US compared to 73.01 cents US on Wednesday.
US crude futures traded $0.66 higher at US$75.80 a barrel, and the Brent contract rose US$2.15 to US$78.85 a barrel.
The price of gold was down US$19.64 to US$3,370.43.
In world markets, the Nikkei was down 396.81 points to ¥38,488.34, the Hang Seng was down 472.95 points to HK$23,237.74, the FTSE was down 51.67 points to ₤8,791.80, and the DAX was down 260.43 points to €23,057.38.

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Edmonton Journal
an hour ago
- Edmonton Journal
Canada won't pause digital services tax despite pressure from U.S., finance minister says
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Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
Canada won't pause digital services tax despite pressure from U.S., finance minister says
OTTAWA — Canada won't put a hold on the digital services tax on big tech companies set to take effect on June 30, the finance minister said Thursday. Pressure has mounted on Ottawa to pause the tax ahead of trade discussions with the U.S. Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Thursday the legislation was passed by Parliament and Canada is 'going ahead' with the tax. 'The (digital services tax) is in force and it's going to be applied,' he told reporters before a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The digital services tax will hit companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb with a three per cent tax on revenue from Canadian users. It will apply retroactively, leaving U.S. companies with a $2 billion US bill due at the end of the month. A June 11 letter signed by 21 members of Congress said U.S. companies will pay 90 per cent of the revenue Canada will collect from the tax. Canadian and U.S. business groups, organizations representing U.S. tech giants and American members of Congress have all signed letters in recent weeks calling for the tax to be eliminated or paused. It's set to take effect just weeks before a deadline Canada and the U.S. have set for coming up with a new trade deal, following months of trade conflict between the two countries. Rick Tachuk, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada, said the plan to go ahead with the tax 'undercuts those talks and risks derailing the agreement.' 'A retroactive tax like the DST, weeks before a new deal is supposed to be done, isn't a bargaining chip. It would likely be viewed as a provocation,' he said in an emailed statement. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and other organizations have warned retaliatory measures in a U.S. spending and tax bill could hit Canadians' pension funds and investments. Champagne said Canada isn't the only country that could be affected by those retaliatory measures. 'These are discussions at the global level,' he said in French. Champagne said there's a wider discussion going on among G7 nations about tax regimes. David Pierce, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's vice-president of government relations, said in an earlier interview his organization fears Canada could 'aggravate an already very tricky trade discussion with the Americans' if it goes ahead with the tax and the retroactive payment requirement. Matthew Holmes, the chamber's executive vice-president and chief of public policy, said in a statement that a Liberal government announcement on counter-tariffs to protect the steel and aluminum industries Thursday was 'geared toward the 30-day deadline, so we see no reason why DST's timeline shouldn't be as well.' He said a 'short-term pause would still be a prudent move to keep negotiations on track and respectful.' The Liberals first promised the tax in the 2019 election. It was delayed for years due to global efforts to establish a broader, multinational digital taxation plan. Following significant delays in that process at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada went ahead with its own tax. Other countries, including France and the United Kingdom, also have digital service taxes in place. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .


Ottawa Citizen
an hour ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Canada won't pause digital services tax despite pressure from U.S., finance minister says
OTTAWA — Canada won't put a hold on the digital services tax on big tech companies set to take effect on June 30, the finance minister said Thursday. Article content Article content Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Thursday the legislation was passed by Parliament and Canada is 'going ahead' with the tax. Article content Article content 'The (digital services tax) is in force and it's going to be applied,' he told reporters before a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill. Article content Article content The digital services tax will hit companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb with a three per cent tax on revenue from Canadian users. Article content It will apply retroactively, leaving U.S. companies with a $2 billion US bill due at the end of the month. A June 11 letter signed by 21 members of Congress said U.S. companies will pay 90 per cent of the revenue Canada will collect from the tax. Article content Canadian and U.S. business groups, organizations representing U.S. tech giants and American members of Congress have all signed letters in recent weeks calling for the tax to be eliminated or paused. Article content It's set to take effect just weeks before a deadline Canada and the U.S. have set for coming up with a new trade deal, following months of trade conflict between the two countries. Article content Article content Rick Tachuk, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada, said the plan to go ahead with the tax 'undercuts those talks and risks derailing the agreement.' Article content Article content 'A retroactive tax like the DST, weeks before a new deal is supposed to be done, isn't a bargaining chip. It would likely be viewed as a provocation,' he said in an emailed statement. Article content The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and other organizations have warned retaliatory measures in a U.S. spending and tax bill could hit Canadians' pension funds and investments. Article content David Pierce, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's vice-president of government relations, said in an earlier interview his organization fears Canada could 'aggravate an already very tricky trade discussion with the Americans' if it goes ahead with the tax and the retroactive payment requirement.