The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, April 17, edition that the Bank of Canada has paused its monetary policy easing, keeping interest rates at 2.75 per cent as it assesses the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. The Globe's Mark Rendell writes that this decision follows seven consecutive rate cuts that lowered mortgage and borrowing costs. By opting for a wait-and-see approach, the BOC retains flexibility to respond to President Donald Trump's fluctuating trade policies, though it risks being unprepared if the Canadian economy worsens sharply. Governor Tiff Macklem said: "A lot has happened since our March decision five weeks ago. But the future is no clearer. We still do not know what tariffs will be imposed, whether they'll be reduced or escalated, or how long all of this will last." Given the uncertainty, Mr. Macklem said the bank needs to "proceed carefully." However, he added that the BOC is "prepared to act decisively if incoming information points clearly in one direction." The next rate decision is scheduled for June 4. The BOC chose not to provide its usual forecast in the quarterly Monetary Policy Report released with Wednesday's rate announcement.