Small business confidence fell to all-time low in March as trade war with U.S. ramped up, CFIB says

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says small business confidence dropped to an all-time low in March as the trade war with the U.S. ramped up, with the outlook further darkened by new Chinese tariffs. The federation says its business barometer long-term index fell 24.8 index points to 25 in March, worse than the lows it reached during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the 2008 financial crisis or the 9/11 terror attacks. Measured on a scale between zero and 100, an index reading below 50 means more owners are expecting their business's performance to be weaker over the next three…