(Kitco News) - The Bank of Canada (BoC) maintained its key overnight rate at 2.25% on Wednesday, as expected, with the bank rate staying at 2.50% and the deposit rate remaining at 2.20%. The BoC said economic activity in Canada has been weak and uncertainty about U.S. trade policy persists, while the conflict in the Middle East is ongoing and oil prices remain elevated, but they reiterated their commitment to prevent higher energy prices from becoming persistent inflation.