The tax hike approved in the Diet yesterday will take effect in 2014, giving consumers nearly two years to cram in as much spending as possible.

As the April 2014 hike approaches, economists expect a spending spree, adding 1.4% to the economy. Afterwards, it will be payback time.

The earlier spending will lean toward durable, discretionary items. The first thing to benefit may be commodity prices as manufacturers stockpile raw materials and inventories ahead of the anticipated demand. Overall, however, the changes probably won’t be big enough to make a difference for AUD or CAD.