The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Canadian banks are cautioning that consumers could be hit harder by tariffs than other groups as layoffs loom and businesses pause expansion plans. The Globe's Stefanie Marotta writes that senior executives from some of the country's biggest banks said that they are scanning their customer portfolios across personal, commercial and corporate banking for those most affected by tariffs, to reach out to them pro-actively and compile data on potential loan losses. Scotiabank chief risk officer Phil Thomas said job losses caused by tariffs will determine whether retail customers are able to absorb trade-war shocks. "What keeps me awake at night will be the Canadian retail consumer," he told a Toronto banking conference Wednesday. In recent years, Canada's banks have been setting aside more provisions for credit losses as a buffer against higher interest rates and a slowing economy. During first-quarter earnings that ended Jan. 31, the lenders adjusted their provisions slightly to account for the uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats, but reserves for the year ahead will depend on the duration of the trade war and the extent of job losses.