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Canadian shoppers and brands have gone “elbows up” to promote and support home-grown products, explore local destinations and more.
Ever since the U.S. government began threatening to impose tariffs on products from Canada—America’s largest trading partner—Canadians have responded with indignation, defiance and resourcefulness. Federal and provincial leaders have been quick to deploy counter-tariffs and yank American goods from store shelves. One Canadian grocery chain found a way to tell customers “Don’t blame us for these higher prices!” Meanwhile, everyday Canadians are getting creative and collaborative to promote and support local businesses, whether it’s via their family group chats or by using shopping portals that boost home-grown brands.
Here are some of the ways we’re (not so politely) pushing back.
Surveys repeatedly show that Canadians plan to buy fewer U.S. goods. The provinces of Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia have removed American booze from their liquor stores, causing grief for California wine-growers and other companies. And big grocery chains are reportedly ordering fewer U.S. products and bringing in more Canadian and international merchandise.
We use messages and group chats to plan trips, reunions and babysitting. But one MoneySense editor also uses them for spotting Canadian produce at the grocery store. It’s pretty frustrating to head to a supermarket and only see a limp lettuce leaf left on a vegetable stand. So when a member of the family picks up something, they’ll drop the grocery store address pin in the chat and say what they got. And if another member responds quickly enough, they might have someone doing their personal shopping. It’s like a tariff-friendly Instacart.
No matter how you feel about Facebook, you’ve got to admit, the groups can come in handy sometimes. The platform already had “buy Canadian” groups pre-tariffs, but they’ve positively exploded in recent weeks. A group named “Made in Canada – Canadian Products” boasts 1.4 million members, sharing leads and helping each other find dupes for popular American products. A quick search on Facebook yields dozens of similar groups.
What’s the difference between “Made in Canada,” “Product of Canada” and other variations? A lot, actually, and the devil is in the details. For definitions, read “If you want to buy Canadian, you’ll need to do your research” plus tips from the Competition Bureau of Canada.
Loblaw is using a special “T” symbol on shelf labels at Loblaws, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart and Maxi locations to show customers which U.S.-sourced products are affected by tariffs. In the past, the retail giant has been the subject of a customer boycott over high food prices, so perhaps they’re just trying to get ahead of the next one?
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If you want to buy local but don’t know where to start, check out these websites devoted to Canadian businesses:
For many Canadian families, Disney World, Myrtle Beach and other U.S. travel destinations have lost their shine. Canadian-resident return trips to the U.S. by air fell 14% year-over-year in April and 24.2% in May, continuing a downward trend that began in September 2023, according to Statistics Canada. Road trips to the U.S. have also dropped sharply. In May, visitors from Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario declined by 52.5%, 52.3% and 33.7%, respectively, year-over-year.
Instead of going stateside, many Canadians are protesting U.S. tariffs by vacationing right here at home—and saving plenty of money, too. For inspiration on how to budget and where to go, read “Affordable family vacations: How to travel when the Canadian dollar is weak.”
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Very useful info. Thanks for sharing