Canadian consumers are uniting against U.S. President Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs by boycotting imported goods from south of the border, which are about to get more expensive starting this week due to the impending trade war.
Many shoppers are already flooding online forums with made-in-Canada product suggestions in a bid to support local businesses and the economy. According to an analysis by BMO Economics, if the announced tariffs remain in place for one year, the Canadian economy could be at risk of a “modest recession,” while the unemployment rate could jump to eight per cent from the current 6.7 per cent, mirroring pandemic levels.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated his call for people to ‘buy Canadian.’
“Now is the time to choose products made right here in Canada,” he wrote on social media. “Check the labels. Let’s do our part. Wherever we can, choose Canada.”
Dylan Lobo, a 22-year-old digital media consultant who runs the product recommendation website Made in CA, said 150,000 users visited the site on Saturday after Trump signed an executive order imposing 25 per cent tariffs on almost all Canadian goods and a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy products. That compares to an average of 10,000 visitors per month, he told the Star.
“It’s pretty hard to find a made-in-Canada product, honestly,” he said, explaining that many products, like groceries, lack clear labels detailing where they come from. “It’s up to the consumer to really research and find out.”
Loblaws CEO Per Bank wrote on social media that the country’s largest grocer is doubling down on securing food grown and made in Canada. It is also looking for alternatives to U.S. imports from other countries, including Mexico “which has also been subjected to these unnecessary tariffs.”
Want to buy local too? Here is a comprehensive list of Canadian brands and made-in-Canada goods to get on your next shopping trip:
- Dairy: Look for products with the Blue Cow logo, which means they’re made with 100 per cent with Canadian milk and ingredients.
- Eggs: Savör; Ferme Avicole Laviolette; Burnbrae Farms;
- Meat and seafood: Sunday Farms; Great Canadian Meat Company;
- Snacks and pantry items: Hippie Snacks; Uncle Bob’s popcorn; Cheezies; Quaker Oats Harvest Crunch; Royal Nuts; Hickory Sticks; Dainty, the Rice Company; Kozlik’s Canadian Mustard; French’s ketchup;
- Fruits and vegetables: GoodLeaf Farms; Harvest Fresh (VegPak Produce); Sunset;
- Coffee and tea: Zavida Coffee Roasters; Club Coffee; Kicking Horse Coffee; DavidsTea;
- Wine: Head to Wine Country Ontario for a list of wineries;
- Beer, cider and coolers: Collective Arts Brewing; Muskoka Brewery; Ace Hill; Cottage Springs; Georgian Bay;
- Toilet paper, paper towels and facial tissue: Royale; Cashmere and Scotties (Kruger);
- Aluminum foil: Alcan;
- Garbage bags: Glad (The Clorox Company of Canada);
- Cleaning products: The Unscented Company; Nature Clean; Eco-Max; Mighty Wipes (Canada Wipes);
- Province of Canada; Naked & Famous Denim; Canada West Boots; Local Laundry;
- Boo Bamboo (Hush Brands); Green Beaver; Attitude; Diva;
For more Ontario-made goods, click here.
Have other product swap suggestions? Leave them in the comments below.
