advertisement

ontario home and vehicle insurance premiums could increase due to tariffs

ontario insurance rates on homes and vehicles will rise...

ontario insurance rates on homes and vehicles will rise because of u.s. tariffs on canadian products, according to digital insurance marketplace ratesdotca.
with a 25% tariff on steel set to take effect on march 12, some of the first industries to feel the effects of these tariffs will be automotive manufacturing and construction, both of which rely heavily on steel products.
ratesdotca says any increase in production costs will cause a domino effect as it will drive increases in sales costs which in turn will drive claims costs higher for repairs and replacement, which in turn will push up insurance premiums over time.
“it will likely take some time for the effects of tariffs to work their way through the system, and the effects will depend on the length of time the tariffs are in place” says daniel ivans, ratesdotca insurance expert and licensed insurance broker, in a statement.
“tariffs are likely to increase the cost of vehicles and homes, which will eventually make their way into insurance premium prices.”
here’s how tariffs could affect auto and home insurance premiums, according to ratesdotca:
– there is a significant lag, often more than a year, between an event that affects the changes in auto insurance premium prices. in ontario, auto insurance premiums are regulated, meaning that insurance companies must provide the reasons for their proposed premium increases, which are then submitted for approval to the financial services regulatory authority of ontario (fsra), a process that can take months.
story continues below

advertisement

– home insurance premiums will reflect the changes more quickly as they aren’t regulated by an authoritative body such as fsra.
– auto insurance premiums have risen due to large claims losses from high rates of auto theft and inflation, while home insurance premiums are on the rise from catastrophic claims losses due to increasing extreme weather events such as floods, wildfires and hailstorms so any increase in premium prices from tariffs will likely be in addition to those.

recommended video

jane stevenson
jane stevenson

jane stevenson has been a toronto sun columnist since 1995, the majority of that time as music critic with an avid interest in film (including tiff every year) and tv. more recently she's added news to her portfolio recalling her vancouver journalism beginnings in radio and print (cjor, cp/bn) although she also worked in tv as an entertainment reporter/anchor (ckvu) out west before getting a transfer to cp/bn in toronto. she's a graduate of the bcit broadcast journalism program and went to ubc for her first year where she studied second-year creative writing.

read more about the author

comments

postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. we ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. we have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. visit our community guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.