Automotive

OTTAWA — Transport Canada estimates as much as $3.9 billion in trade activity was halted because of border blockades across the country related to protests against COVID-19 restrictions last winter, a public inquiry heard Wednesday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon has begun mass layoffs in its corporate ranks, becoming the latest tech company to trim its workforce amid rising fears about the wider economic environment.

TORONTO — Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast says it has opened its first Canadian showroom as it prepares for a wider expansion into the market.

WINNIPEG — NFI Group Inc. reported a loss of US$42.6 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of US$15.4 million in the same quarter last year as its revenue edged higher.

Toronto-based Waabi says it is launching its self-driving system in the real world as it looks to push trucking towards a more autonomous future.

DETROIT (AP) — Two new U.S. studies show that automatic emergency braking can cut the number of rear-end automobile crashes in half, and reduce pickup truck crashes by more than 40%.

DETROIT (AP) — Gas-electric hybrids were the most dependable vehicles sold in the U.S. in the past year, while big pickup trucks and fully electric automobiles performed the worst in Consumer Reports' annual reliability survey.

TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese economy contracted at an annual rate of 1.2% in the July-September quarter, as consumption declined amid rising prices. Seasonally adjusted real gross domestic product for the world’s third-largest economy shrank 0.

ATLANTA (AP) — A California company seeking to build small electric aircraft says it will invest $118 million to construct a plant near Atlanta, eventually hiring up to 1,000 people.

OTTAWA — The "Freedom Convoy" protests that took over downtown Ottawa last winter and inspired several border blockades caused serious concerns about Canada's international reputation and its economic security, senior Canadian officials say.