Calls for grocers to include “Product of Canada” labels on items continue to grow amid the tariffs spat with the United States.
A petition on Change.org urging grocery stores to label products that are made in Canada has nearly 21,000 signatures as of Friday.
“With Donald Trump imposing a trade war upon Canada, it’s more important than ever to support our local farmers, producers and artisans. However, identifying domestically produced items in our grocery stores can be challenging,” reads the petition started by Toronto resident Neal Chauhan.
“We propose a straightforward solution: encourage all grocery stores in Canada to prominently display a ‘Product of Canada’ sticker on products that are locally produced.”
Chauhan says there are three main reasons why these labels matter. The first is that clearly labelling Canadian-made goods allows shoppers to make informed choices, helping them support local economies by buying local.
The second is what Chauhan says are its environmental benefits. “Purchasing locally produced food reduces transportation distances, avoiding transit through the United States,” he wrote.
Lastly, the petition argues that made-in-Canada labels “enable consumers to vote with their wallet, keeping more money in the pockets of Canadian companies.”
It’s not only calling on grocers to implement these measures but also urging the Canadian government to enact regulations encouraging stores to label domestically-produced products.
“By signing this petition, you are advocating for a more transparent, sustainable and locally supportive shopping experience in Canada,” wrote Chauhan. “Together, we can make it easier to identify and choose Canadian-made products, outlasting this trade war.”
The petition also links contact forms to major grocery stores in Canada like Loblaw, Sobeys and Metro.
Last week, Empire Company Limited — the conglomerate that owns grocers like Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, FreshCo and Foodland — said it already has a “robust strategy” to combat Trump’s tariffs.
The company said it already favours and displays local products in its stores nationwide. It’s also working to amplify this practice while accelerating the sourcing of Canadian goods as alternatives to products on Ottawa’s retaliatory tariffs list.
Metro Inc., which owns Ontario and Quebec grocers like Food Basics and Super C, said over email that it’ll beef up its promotion of made-in-Canada goods given the circumstances.
Loblaw has yet to reply to a request for comment.
While many Canadians are taking matters into their own hands and sharing ways to buy locally amid the tariffs, one industry expert said boycotting U.S. goods may not be effective beyond making a political point.
“Canadian retailers love to sell Canadian goods. They prefer it for a whole bunch of good reasons. It’s easier to source, it’s close, it’s reliable. Unfortunately, of all the products/goods that Canadian retailers sell, Canadian goods are only a percentage of that,” shared Matt Poirier, vice president of government relations at the Retail Council of Canada.
After signing orders to impose 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada (scheduled to kick in on March 12), U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans for global reciprocal tariffs.
“Meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America we will charge them, no more no less,” Trump said while signing the executive order Thursday.
