Experts accuse Carney of politically inflating food prices with U.S. counter-tariffs
Between March and May 2025, U.S. food inflation cooled while Canada nearly tripled over the same period.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government kept tariffs on everyday American goods in place for months despite evidence they were driving up prices, prompting accusations Ottawa worsened Canada’s affordability crisis for political reasons.
A new Bank of Canada study found Canadian retailers passed roughly one-quarter of Ottawa’s 25 per cent counter-tariffs onto consumers, raising the prices of affected goods by about six per cent.
The tariffs added an estimated 0.3 percentage points to inflation in 2025, even as the overall rate remained near the Bank’s two per cent target.
“Tariff pass-through is significant but partial,” researchers concluded.
