Macklem was speaking at an event in Washington after data on Tuesday showed Canada's annual inflation rate in March ticked up as expected to 2.9%, but the central bank's closely-watched measures of underlying price pressures eased for a third straight month.

The bank is looking for sustained signs that inflation is cooling before starting to lower its key policy rate from a near 23-year high of 5%.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa, Editing by Franklin Paul)