Canadian Boycott of US Products Pushes Grocers to Adapt

A growing consumer movement to buy Canadian products and boycott US goods is reshaping supermarket shelves in Canada, prompting grocers to improve country-of-origin labeling and seek alternative sources of supply, Nivedita Balu reported for Reuters.

Canadian grocers such as Vince's Market are highlighting domestic products and seeking alternative suppliers as consumers increasingly favor Canadian goods amid the US-Canada trade dispute. [Photo: Vince's Market Facebok]

In Ontario, Giancarlo Trimarchi, president of independent grocer Vince’s Market, turned to Facebook to show customers that most of the produce on his stores’ shelves was Canadian after receiving angry emails and comments about the chain stocking US produce.

A deepening trade conflict between the United States and Canada has made consumers more conscious of where their money goes.

“Buy Canadian” campaigns began gaining momentum last year after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods and have intensified following the breakdown of trade talks and Trump’s executive order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America.

“It is a lot more aggressive this time around than last year,” Trimarchi told Reuters.

Canadian grocers are responding by highlighting domestic products and exploring alternative suppliers.

Reuters reported that imports of some US vegetables have declined, while Canadian companies have increased sourcing from countries including Spain and Brazil and expanded greenhouse production.

The changes could have longer-term effects on Canadian food supply chains, although lower prices and a cooling of trade tensions could eventually encourage consumers and retailers to return to US products.