The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, May 20, edition that inflation reached 2.8 per cent in April. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe reports that this is the highest rate since May, 2024, up from 2.4 per cent in March. A Reuters poll had anticipated an increase to over 3 per cent. Statistics Canada said the cost of gasoline was 28.6 per cent higher year-over-year last month as conflict in the Middle East disrupted global oil shipments, sending costs soaring at the gas pumps. April also marked the switch to more expensive summer gasoline blends at gas stations in Canada. Ottawa's decision to remove the consumer carbon price a year earlier, meanwhile, skewed the annual price comparison higher in April. Nixing the carbon price reduced gas prices by about 18 cents per litre in April, 2025. While this initially lowered the headline inflation rate, its effect has since faded from annual comparisons, leading to a rise in inflation. Statscan noted Ottawa's move to suspend the fuel excise tax mid-month helped moderate the April price increase. That pause, which removes an estimated 10 cents from a litre of regular gas and four cents a litre of diesel, is scheduled to last until Labour Day.