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A need to fuel faster growth and shield the economy from U.S. trade-policy uncertainty led senior Bank of Canada officials to agree on a quarter-point rate cut last month, according to minutes summarizing central bank deliberations.

The Bank of Canada’s governing council members think Canada’s economy will be hurt more by a protracted trade war than that of the United States, according to minutes released by the central bank on Wednesday.

The potential for prolonged trade war with the United States weighed heavily on the Bank of Canada when it decided to cut its interest rate to three per cent last month.