OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says fewer manufacturers report being affected by tariffs in May than in April.
The agency says total manufacturing sales were down 0.9 per cent to $68.7 billion in May, marking the lowest level since January 2022.
But it says respondents to its survey indicated U.S. tariffs were having a smaller impact on Canadian manufacturing in May than in April.
Nearly half of manufacturers reported tariff hits in May, about 10 percentage points lower than the month before when the bulk of the U.S trade levies took effect.
The May data doesn’t capture U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to double steel and aluminum tariffs in June, nor his recently announced plans to impose 50 per cent tariffs on copper imports.
Manufacturers told Statistics Canada in May that they were dealing with tariffs impacts mostly through higher prices and changes in demand.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025.
