How Do Import Tariffs Affect Aggregate Prices? Theory and Evidence from Canada Staff working paper 2026-36 Christian Bustamante, Xing Guo, Lu Han, Soyoung Lee, Gaelan MacKenzie, Mariel Yacolca Maguiña, Jacob Short Using Canadian firm-level market shares and an oligopolistic model, the paper shows that a 25% counter-tariff on U.S. imports raises Canada's aggregate price index by 0.66%, far below direct cost pass-through predictions due to consumer substitution and markup adjustments. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): E, E3, E31, F, F1, F13, F14, L, L1, L11, L16 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Structural challenges, International trade, finance and competitiveness
The Production Network Amplification of Retaliatory Tariffs Staff working paper 2026-35 Christian Bustamante, Xing Guo, Lu Han, Soyoung Lee, Gaelan MacKenzie, Mariel Yacolca Maguiña, Jacob Short We develop a framework to quantify how tariff changes on imported goods affect sectoral and aggregate consumption prices through direct and production-network channels. Using Canada's input-output matrix and administrative firm-good import data for the universe of Canadian firms, we estimate price elasticities for tariffs on U.S.-imported goods. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): D, D5, D57, E, E3, E31, F, F1, F13, F14 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Structural challenges, International trade, finance and competitiveness
The Price Impact of Canadian Retaliatory Tariffs Staff working paper 2026-22 Alberto Cavallo, Olena Kostyshyna, Oleksiy Kryvtsov, Matías Vieyra How do import tariffs affect retail prices? We combine daily product-level posted prices from seven major Canadian retailers with product-level tariff exposure to estimate tariff effects. Prices of tariffed goods rose gradually, peaking at 6% after three months, implying pass-through of roughly one quarter of the 25% tariff. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): E, E3, E31, E5, E52, F, F1, F13 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures
Deglobalization and Trade Fragmentation: Implications for the Inflation-Output Trade-Off Staff analytical paper 2026-24 Matteo Cacciatore, Daniela Hauser, Yuko Imura How do deglobalization and rising trade costs affect monetary policy? A two-country, multi-sector model of Canada and the United States shows that bilateral trade-cost shocks generate a manageable inflation–output trade-off under the existing framework — but larger or more persistent shocks would make look-through policies costlier and riskier. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): D, D5, D57, E, E5, E52, E58, F, F1, F13, F4, F41, F6, F62 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Monetary policy framework and transmission, Monetary policy tools and implementation, Structural challenges, International trade, finance and competitiveness
Assessing global potential output growth: April 2026 Staff analytical paper 2026-20 Daniel de Munnik, Kristina Hess, Walter Muiruri, Tuuli McCully, Faiza Noor, Sabreena Obaid, Andrew Plummer, Louis Poirier, Abeer Reza, Jillian Schwartz We present the annual update of the Bank of Canada staff estimates for global potential output growth. These estimates served as key inputs to the analysis supporting the April 2026 Monetary Policy Report. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E1, E2, F, F0, F1, O, O3, O33, O4 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting, Structural challenges, Demographics and labour supply, Digitalization and productivity
Assessing tariff pass-through to consumer prices in Canada: Lessons from 2018 Staff analytical note 2025-18 Alexander Lam US trade protectionism is making the economic outlook increasingly uncertain. To assess how consumer prices may respond to tariffs, we examine a tariff episode from 2018 using detailed microdata and the synthetic control method. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes JEL Code(s): E, E3, E30, E31, F, F1, F10, F13, F14 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Structural challenges, International trade, finance and competitiveness
Assessing global potential output growth: April 2025 Staff analytical note 2025-15 Samuel Boulanger, Raheeb Dastagir, Daniel de Munnik, Eshini Ekanayake, Kun Mo, Walter Muiruri, Faiza Noor, Sabreena Obaid, Louis Poirier This note presents the annual update of Bank of Canada staff estimates for growth in global potential output. These estimates served as key inputs to the analysis supporting the April 2025 Monetary Policy Report. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes JEL Code(s): E, E1, E2, F, F0, F1, O, O3, O33, O4 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting, Structural challenges, Demographics and labour supply, Digitalization and productivity, International trade, finance and competitiveness
The Mutable Geography of Firms’ International Trade Staff working paper 2025-11 Lu Han Exporters frequently change their market destinations. This paper introduces a new approach to identifying the drivers of these decisions over time. Analysis of customs data from China and the UK shows most changes are driven by demand rather than supply-related shocks. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): F, F1, F12, F14, L, L1, L11 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Economic models, Structural challenges, International trade, finance and competitiveness
Third-Country Effects of U.S. Immigration Policy Staff working paper 2023-60 Agostina Brinatti, Xing Guo We study how the tightening of US immigration policy affects the Canadian economy and American workers. After the reduction in H-1B visa admissions in 2017, more immigrants came to Canada, and Canadian firms expanded their employment, sales and exports. The close trade link between the United States and Canada dampens the benefit American workers derive from this policy change. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): F, F1, F16, F2, F22, J, J6, J61 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting, Structural challenges, Demographics and labour supply, International trade, finance and competitiveness
An Investigation into the Effects of Border Carbon Adjustments on the Canadian Economy Staff working paper 2023-27 Y.-H. Henry Chen, Hossein Hosseini Jebeli, Craig Johnston, Sergey Paltsev, Marie-Christine Tremblay We examine the economic implications of border carbon adjustments (BCAs) for Canada. We find that, BCAs, in the form of import tariffs, reduce Canada’s carbon leakage and improve its competitiveness when Canada is part of a broad coalition of BCA-implementing countries. Welfare also improves when tariff revenues are transferred to households. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): C, C6, C68, F, F1, H, H2, Q, Q3, Q37, Q5 Research Theme(s): Structural challenges, Climate change, International trade, finance and competitiveness