B.C. grocers move toward buying local as tariff threat looms

CBC

05-02-2025

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At Ellis Street Market in Kelowna, Canadian-made products are clearly labelled with maple leaf stickers.
Amid looming tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, several grocery stores in B.C. are making it easier for shoppers to identify and purchase local products.
And they say demand for buying locally has increased since Trump ordered a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, which was initially set to come into effect just after midnight on Tuesday.
But despite the 30-day pause on the tariffs announced Monday, grocers are still gearing up to move away from U.S. products.
Ellis Street Market manager Chris Hansen says while it is not possible to fully move away from some U.S. products, they can highlight local items so shoppers can make informed decisions.
"That means to galvanize all our farmers together and have them showcased in an upfront, prominent way," Hansen said on CBC's Daybreak South.
He said many customers have expressed interest in buying local recently, and their shop has also called local business owners into the shop to provide demonstrations and showcase their products.
"This is an opportunity for us to diversify, to get localized, to be part of our communities," said Hansen.
"And realize how important it really is that we take care of ourselves first."
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Tyler Large, operations director for Country Grocer based on Vancouver Island, has also noticed demand increasing for local products in the last week.
He says customers are shying away from products made in the U.S. while there has been an uptick in local products, such as B.C. cucumbers.
"The customers are the ones that are going to tell us what they want and they're still very clear on buying Canada, buying local, buying B.C.," Large said on CBC's On The Island Tuesday morning.
For grocery stores, Large predicts that produce will be most affected by the tariffs.
And he said this may be the push local retailers need to diversify their supply chains and look elsewhere for produce, like Latin America and Oceania.
"This is definitely a wake-up call for our industry," said Large. "I think it's going to have some really positive outcomes."
Buy local campaign—on a local scale
In Vancouver, Coun. Pete Fry is urging the city to bring forward a "Buy Local" strategy. It comes as several provinces, including B.C., work to explore trade alternatives.
The motion, which he intends to bring forward as urgent new business on Tuesday, asks for a review of city procurement policies to prioritize local suppliers and to launch a Buy Local campaign in collaboration with businesses.
"Team Canada doesn't start and end with the Prime Minister and the Premiers — it also includes your local elected representatives, local businesses, and you," Fry said Tuesday in a statement.
While the pause is a great relief for many Canadians, the buy-local movement will likely continue now that the trade relationship has been threatened, according to David Soberman, a marketing professor at the University of Toronto.
He says buying locally not only supports Canadian companies facing lost business from the States, but it will also insulate Canadian consumers if Canada enforces retaliatory tariffs on American products.
Daybreak South Tuesday.