How Canadians are standing up to the U.S. and Trump's tariffs in the grocery aisles
Canada's trade war with the U.S. has had a swift impact on grocery stores, with companies putting up maple leaf tags on shelves, shifting their product mix and highlighting local items.
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It has also mobilized many Canadians to change how they shop, and in some cases, forgo their preferred products to support domestic companies.
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Data show a lot of people are jumping on the trend. According to NielsenIQ, around a third of respondents to a March survey were entirely boycotting U.S.-made products regardless of availability or price. Meanwhile, a survey by Spring Financial found four in five Canadians are making a conscious effort to buy more Canadian-made products.
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'The threat of tariffs was one thing. The 51st state conversations that we've been hearing, that is ultimately what was the main driver,' said Ottawa resident Tova Larsen. 'Because this becomes an existential threat to Canada.'
Larsen said she's also concerned about food safety, noting the cuts to the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S., which oversees the safety of food and other products.
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'It's turning Canada from an American cousin into an American enemy or an American target,' said Alex Burton in Vancouver, B.C.
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'If my choice was between an apple from Washington and an apple from New Zealand, I would have always chosen the apple from Washington because it's closer and environmentally better. Now, I'm not doing that,' he said.
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Irene Carroll in Toronto found herself struck by reading about the potential economic impact of buying Canadian.
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'Before, I would just look at what was on sale and put it in a shopping cart, not really paying attention as to where the product came from. But as soon as the tariffs hit … I took that a lot more seriously,' she said, adding she's discovered some new favourite products as a result.
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