National Business

TORONTO — Ten years ago, it would've been unthinkable that vinyl records could soften the decline of Canadian music sales, but a new industry roundup says renewed popularity in the physical discs did just that in 2021.

TORONTO — There’s no avoiding maintenance fees if you buy a condo, but there are ways to reduce the risk of nasty surprises down the road.

OTTAWA — Canada's merchandise trade surplus rose to $3.1 billion in November, despite the disruptions caused by flooding and landslides in B.C., Statistics Canada said Thursday. The agency said the result compared with a revised surplus of $2.

TORONTO — Cineplex Inc. says it has temporarily laid off nearly 5,000 part-time employees because of mandated closures of its Ontario movie theatres to tackle the surge of the Omicron variant.

NEW YORK (AP) — New data from the music industry confirms what a lot of people long suspected — 2021 was a very good year for Morgan Wallen, Adele and vinyl.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit surged to a near-record high of $80.2 billion in November as exports slowed at the same time that imports jumped sharply. The November deficit was 19.3% higher than the October deficit of $67.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but remained at historically low levels, suggesting that the job market remains strong. U.S. jobless claims rose by 7,000 last week to 207,000.

HAMILTON — Stelco Holdings Inc. says its steel shipments in the fourth quarter of last year were below its guidance as it was hurt by production and logistics challenges and the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

MONTREAL — Supremex Inc. is reinstating its payment of a quarterly dividend after suspending it in the early days of the pandemic. The maker of envelopes and paper packaging says it will pay a quarterly dividend of 2.5 cents per common share.

TORONTO — A resurgence in demand for Toronto homes contributed to record residential real estate sales and prices in 2021 despite a dip in December.