• Inflation is about the same as in January
  • Responds ‘no’ to question about shutting the door to rate cuts
  • “We remain neutral”
  • Inflation hinges on export outlook
  • We believe ingredients are present for exports but they have been present for awhile, we need to see it
  • Natural gas prices expected to lift headline inflation

The reiteration of neutral while refraining talk of a more hawkish bias added a few pips to USD/CAD. Last at 1.1017.

More headlines:

  • Contacts say it’s so competitive that it’s tough to pass through import price rises due to soft CAD
  • I won’t comment on appropriate level of Canadian dollar in any way
  • We’re trying to figure out what effect weather will have in Canada/US
  • We think effect in US will be cutting 0.5 to 1.5 pp of Q1 growth
  • Canada would be at lower end “because we’re used to bad weather”