Canada a tale of two economies: as export sector staggers, domestic activity booms

BY JULIAN BELTRAME OTTAWA

Two reports Thursday reinforced recent trends that show a strong domestic Canadian economy propped up by floor-low interest rates and a recovering housing market, and a weak manufacturing sector hammered by the sky-high dollar and a squeeze on exports.

“What it’s telling us is that low interest rates are working in Canada,” said CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld. “We’ve had a number of disappointments on the export front. Where Canada is showing vigour, it’s on the domestic front in response to low interest rates.”

The most recent evidence is the outsized growth in house sales during the third quarter — given the still-weak overall economy.

The Canadian Real Estate Association reported that in real terms, sales of existing homes in the country have never been stronger than in the just-completed third quarter. The association said more than 135,000 units were sold in the July-to-September period — 18 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year before the recession hit.

Meanwhile, Statistics Canada figures released early Thursday showed factory shipments fell 2.1 per cent in August as the activity from the U.S. cash-for-clunkers program, which had artificially spurred auto sales in the United States, subsided.

As well, there are few signs of recovery ahead for the battered manufacturing sector as new orders have practically stagnated and unfilled orders fell 4.2 per cent.

“The fact remains that Canada’s manufacturing sector remains under duress,” said TD Bank economist Grant Bishop, noting the new challenge of a dollar that many expect to regain parity with the U.S. greenback by year’s end.

A perhaps even bigger barrier to a recovery in Canada’s export sector, which accounts for about one-third of the economy, is that consumer demand in the U.S. for what Canada has to sell — cars, parts, lumber and consumer items — isn’t about to pick up any time soon.

A new Conference Board of Canada forecast of the U.S. economy estimated that consumer spending will remain in the dumps throughout 2010, rising only about one per cent from already abysmal levels.

The problem faced by the Bank of Canada is that hinting it may raise rates sooner than next summer, when its conditional pledge to keep the policy rate at 0.25 per cent runs out, will only add fuel to the loonie’s flight and further harm exports and manufacturers. Suggesting that rates will remain as low as they are for a long time feeds into a housing asset bubble and risks inflation.

“The decisive rebound (in home sales) puts the Bank of Canada in a quandary — while the hot housing market cries out for rate hikes, the runaway loonie screams ‘No!’ ” is the way Doug Porter, deputy chief economist with BMO Capital Markets, puts it.

The big banks recently raised mortgage rates by up to a third of a point on many loans, a move that could slow down demand in some markets. However, mortgage rates are still extremely low by historic standards. The Canadian Press