GZERO North

Hard Numbers: US whiskey takes a Canadian shot, Toronto home sales plunge, US charges Chinese “hack-for-hire” ring, Ukrainian refugees get a reprieve in Canada, What does a dinner with Trump cost?

Vancouver liquor store displays "Buy Canadian Instead" sign
A ''Buy Canadian Instead'' sign is displayed in a liquor store after the top five US liquor brands were removed from sale as part of a response to President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on Canadian goods, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
REUTERS/Chris Helgren

1: What’s worse than a tariff? Well, if you’re the maker of Jack Daniels it’s a decision by several Canadian provinces to remove your product from shelves as part of the deepening US-Canada trade war. Still, the Great White North accounts for just 1% of the famous Tennessee sour mash’s sales. Mexico is another story entirely: It throws back seven times as much.

28.5: Meanwhile, that trade war is starting to hit home for Canada – literally. Home sales in the Toronto area plunged 28.5% from January to February as buyers sat tight over uncertainty about the economy.

12: The US Justice Department has charged 12 Chinese nationals, including at least eight employees of a private hacking firm, with involvement in a global cyberespionage campaign that allegedly targeted political dissidents, news organizations, and the US Treasury Department. China’s burgeoning hack-for-hire companies reportedly bill the government up to $75,000 for each inbox they crack.

300,000: Ottawa has extended the deadline for Ukrainian refugees living in Canada to renew their work and study visas by one year, to March 2026, and will continue providing free settlement services until that time. Canada has granted visas to approximately 300,000 Ukrainians since the start of the war with Russia. Meanwhile, a report said the Trump administration is considering a move to fast-track the deportation of up to 240,000 Ukrainians by revoking their temporary legal status. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it “fake news” and said “no decision has been made at this time.”

5 million: Want to meet face-to-face with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago compound? That’ll cost you $5 million, according to a report by Wired. For the more frugal set, a seat at a candlelight group dinner with the 47th president will run you a mere $1 million, according to an invitation seen by the publication.

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