News
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Saskatchewan introduces law to allow control of oil, gas exports
Regina – The Saskatchewan government has introduced legislation that would allow the province to control its oil and gas exports, similar to a bill recently tabled in Alberta. Once passed, the law would establish a permitting process for people or…
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Statistics Canada says wholesale sales drop 0.8 per cent in February
Ottawa – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales fell 0.8 per cent to $62.8 billion in February. The agency says it was the largest downward move and the second monthly drop since September 2017. Sales fell in four of the seven…
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Robots are coming – Construction robots weld, bolt, lift to beat worker shortage
Tokyo – Robots that can weld, lift and bolt are being developed to help bridge labour shortages at Japanese construction sites, though their use will be limited to night shifts when no human workers will be nearby due to safety…
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New auto rules will be the ‘core’ of future NAFTA deal, Freeland predicts
Washington – New automotive rules will be the centrepiece of a new NAFTA agreement, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday during a round of negotiations she characterized as being focused on cars. In an exchange with reporters between sessions…
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Innovative manufacturer Verbom increases productivity
Sherbrooke, QC – The governments of Canada and Quebec have granted nearly $11 million in financial contributions to Verbom to support an investment project at its sheet metal processing plant in Sherbrooke. The project will help create around 100 jobs…
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Canada is moving in to protect the industry in accordance with international rules
Montreal – The Canadian government announced new measures to prevent transshipment and diversion of metal in Canada. “This announcement demonstrates Canada’s leadership and commitment to the integrated North American aluminium supply chain, which benefits both Canada and the United States.…
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Rio Tinto first to receive Aluminium Stewardship Initiative certification
Montreal – Rio Tinto is the first company in the world to receive certification under the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), the highest internationally recognized standard for robust environmental, social and governance practices across the aluminium lifecycle of production, use and…
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Bank of Canada holds benchmark interest rate as economic growth moderates
Ottawa – The Bank of Canada is maintaining its trend-setting interest rate as its careful assessment of the timing of future hikes continues amid a backdrop of moderating growth. The central bank, which kept its rate at 1.25 per cent…
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Amid trade rift, China to allow full foreign auto ownership
Beijing – Facing the risk of a trade fight with the United States, China announced plans Tuesday to allow full foreign ownership of automakers in five years. The change would scrap rules that require global automakers to work through state-owned…
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Manufacturing sector sales grew in February
Ottawa – Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales grew 1.9 per cent to $55.8 billion in February, boosted by the transportation equipment industry. The increase in factory sales, an indicator of strength in the economy, came after two consecutive monthly decreases.…
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IMF: A major trade rift could imperil solid global economy
Washington – The International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday that rising trade tensions between the United States and China risk undermining a global economy that the IMF believes should otherwise grow solidly this year. The lending agency has kept its forecast…
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Purchasing managers report production gains in motor vehicles and electronics
Washington – U.S. factory output edged up a slight 0.1 per cent in March, as strong production gains in motor vehicles and electronics were partially offset by declines in food and textiles. The Federal Reserve said Tuesday that factory output…
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There’s a chance the U.S. will rejoin TPP
Washington – On the heels of bombshell news that President Donald Trump is exploring the possibility of rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the United States is seeking to contain expectations. That note of caution is being signalled on multiple fronts. Trump…
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Rising interest rates starting to pinch more Canadians, poll says
Calgary – A new poll suggests a growing proportion of Canadians say they are feeling the affects of higher interest rates. The quarterly MNP consumer debt index survey says 43 per cent of Canadians say they’re feeling the effects of…
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Timken increases Outlook for 2018
North Canton, OH – The Timken Company, a world leader in engineered bearings and mechanical power transmission products, announced that it is increasing its sales and earnings outlook for 2018. “We’ve had a strong start to 2018, with shipments and incoming…
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Manufacturing technology orders show continued strength in 2018
U.S. manufacturing technology orders for the first two months of 2018 climbed 27 per cent higher than the same period in 2017 signalling continued strength in the recovery initiated in June 2017, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders…
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U.S. cutting tool sales show growth
February U.S. cutting tool consumption totalled $190.12 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report collaboration, was up…
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Injury on cutting machine results in fines for Scarborough noodle company
A noodle manufacturing facility has been fined after a worker suffered injury while attempting to clear dough that was jammed in a noodle cutting machine. On August 30, 2016, a worker employed by Hung Wang Foods Inc. as a general…
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Steel truss crushes worker, New Brunswick company fined
A galvanizing services company has been fined after a steel truss fell off a forklift onto a worker, causing crushing injuries. On July 25, 2016, the worker was working as part of a night shift crew galvanizing steel trusses at…
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Unifor fights to save five Canadian mills from Trump
Toronto – Unifor has published a video with interviews of Canadians directly impacted by the new U.S. tariffs levied against paper mills in Newfoundland & Labrador, Québec, and British Columbia. “Right now Donald Trump is poised to do irreversible damage…