Bank of Canada cuts interest rates: Read the official statement

financialpost.com:

Here’s the Bank of Canada’s official statement for its rate decision:

The Bank of Canada today reduced its target for the overnight rate to 3 per cent, with the Bank Rate at 3.25 per cent and the deposit rate at 2.95 per cent. The Bank is also announcing its plan to complete the normalization of its balance sheet, ending quantitative tightening. The Bank will restart asset purchases in early March, beginning gradually so that its balance sheet stabilizes and then grows modestly, in line with growth in the economy.

Projections in the January Monetary Policy Report (MPR) published today are subject to more-than-usual uncertainty because of the rapidly evolving policy landscape, particularly the threat of trade tariffs by the new administration in theUnited States. Since the scope and duration of a possible trade conflict are impossible to predict, this MPR provides a baseline forecast in the absence of new tariffs.

In the MPR projection, the global economy is expected to continue growing by about 3 per cent over the next two years. Growth in the United States has been revised up, mainly due to stronger consumption. Growth in the euro area is likely to be subdued as the region copes with competitiveness pressures. In China, recent policy actions are boosting demand and supporting near-term growth, although structural challenges remain. Since October, financial conditions have diverged across countries. U.S. bond yields have risen, supported by strong growth and more persistent inflation. In contrast, yields in Canada are down slightly. The Canadian dollar has depreciated materially against the U.S. dollar, largely reflecting trade uncertainty and broader strength in the U.S. currency. Oil prices have been volatile and in