U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer recommended sweeping tariffs on 59 countries and the entire European Union late Tuesday night, either because they do not prohibit imports made with forced labour or, in Canada’s case, have “failed to effectively enforce” a ban. (The Logic)
The e-commerce platform firm said Tuesday that its board has authorized an additional US$3 billion in share repurchases, starting June 8. (The Logic)
Output per hour worked dropped 0.5 per cent in the first quarter, after slumping 0.3 per cent in the previous quarter, Statistics Canada reported. Companies produced less output even though their employees logged more hours. (The Logic)
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security is among the organizations newly authorized to use the advanced AI model, AI Minister Evan Solomon said, as the U.S. AI company widens the circle of companies and officials allowed to work with the model that’s startlingly good at exploiting software vulnerabilities. He called it a “very important step to increase our access and to make sure that Canadian systems are protected.” (The Logic)
The Vancouver-based early-stage investment firm closed its fifth main venture capital fund with US$78 million, and raised another US$30 million for an opportunities fund that will invest more money into Version One’s most promising portfolio companies. (The Logic)
The founder of Citron Research faces up to 25 years in prison after a U.S. federal jury found he used misleading social media posts and public commentary to manipulate stock prices tied to his trading positions. (Bloomberg)
Ottawa is open to improving the Canada-United-States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in ways that benefit all three countries, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc wrote Monday in a letter to his American and Mexican counterparts that recommended the deal survive a mandatory review this summer. (The Logic)
The mediator working with the e-commerce giant and Unifor Local 114, which represents hundreds of workers at Amazon’s Delta, B.C., warehouse, sided with the union and recommended the parties move to binding arbitration-mediation to reach a first collective agreement. The British Columbia Labour Relations Board will make the final decision. (The Logic)
Documents presented in private consultations with local communities show three potential paths, one starting near Fort McMurray, Alta. and the other two starting near Fort Saskatchewan, just northeast of Edmonton. The documents identify six ports in northern B.C. to which a pipeline could extend. All of the six fall under the federal tanker ban. The Alberta government did not answer questions about whether the routes are currently under consideration. (CBC News, The Logic)
The federal government wants half of the country’s firms to be using the technology by 2030, which it will support with new tools to figure out where they can use it, and with subsidies for processing power, according to a draft version of the document obtained by CBC News. Ottawa is also planning to create AI-related placements for students, and programs to improve people’s general AI literacy. (CBC News)