The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that prices for new cars have risen so much, the average used car sells for about the same as a new car did in 2018. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe says Autotrader put the average cost of a new car at $63,264 in the third quarter last year, with a used at $36,911. Birchwood Credit said the average price of a new vehicle in September, 2018, was $36,100, while a used car then was $19,400. Tariffs, the impact of COVID-19 on supply chains and broader inflationary pressures have all driven vehicle prices higher, said Iacob Koch-Weser at Boston Consulting. He said that before the pandemic, the automotive industry saw lower input costs for some of the raw materials used in vehicle production, such as steel and aluminum. The trade environment was also very different as it was still based on decades of cross-border integration under free-trade policies. Then, just as the auto sector was normalizing from supply chain shocks, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, as well as a blanket 35-per-cent tariff rate for non-treaty products. Though the shifting trade winds played a part, a large part of the increase came before Mr. Trump took office.