{
  "id": 1763271,
  "title": "USA & Canada Intelligence Brief August 18, 2026: Permits Up, Building Down",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/usa-canada-intelligence-brief-august-18-2026-permits-up-building-down",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-18T17:21:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Rio Times",
    "slug": "the-rio-times",
    "url": "https://www.riotimesonline.com/usa-canada-intelligence-brief-tuesday-august-18-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the latest USA & Canada Intelligence Brief on August 18, builders submitted more permits for construction projects but actually constructed fewer buildings. The single-family home starts fell by 9.9% in July to an annual rate of 808,000, marking the slowest pace since November 2022 and 15.7% below the previous year. Total housing starts, including apartments, fell by 12.4% to 1.239 million, well below the forecast of 1.35 million. The tariff on Canadian goods, set to take effect on August 19, imposes 50% duties on a list of Canadian goods worth nearly 20 billion dollars annually, which is about 5% of Canadian imports. Canadian inflation rose to 3.0% in July from 2.8%, driven by increases in gasoline and travel expenses, although core measures remained at the central bank's target of 2.0%. Despite the tariff, Canadian officials have continued negotiations with their American counterparts, but no draft agreement has been reached. Higher mortgage costs and a surplus of unsold homes are believed to be contributing factors to the decline in single-family home starts. Building permits rose by 5.0% in July to 1.443 million, with single-family permits up by 2.5% to 894,000, indicating builders' hesitation to start new projects. The tariff on Canadian goods is expected to significantly impact the trade relationship between the two countries, adding pressure to their ongoing negotiations.",
  "summary": "American builders filed more permits and poured less concrete, and a 50% tariff on a list of Canadian goods lands on Wednesday. The post USA & Canada Intelligence Brief August 18, 2026: Permits Up, Building Down appeared first on The Rio Times .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}