In early February, United States President Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported from Canada. A lower tariff of 10 per cent was applied to energy resources. Although initially delayed, the tariffs took effect on March 4.
Trump, who is also imposing similar tariffs on Mexico, stated to White House reporters that the process is moving quickly, as he believes the U.S. has been treated unfairly by both Mexico and Canada.
“We, as a smaller economy than the United States, do tend to rely a little bit more on international trade for a variety of things and for us in particular, the United States is by far the most important trade partner,” said Jeff Chan, associate professor of economics at Wilfrid Laurier University and director of the Laurier Centre for Economic Research and Policy Analysis.
In his response to the tariffs on Feb. 1, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized to Canadians that now is the time to choose Canada. As Canadians prepare for a potential trade war with the U.S., a growing “Buy Canadian” movement has emerged, encouraging people to support the local economy instead of opting for American products. Many Canadians have responded positively to the “Buy Canadian” movement, demonstrating strong support for their local economies.
OSCANada, Shop Canadian and Buy Beaver are a few of the apps created by entrepreneurs across the country that assist Canadians in choosing local products while shopping. Each app allows user to scan barcodes while shopping.
Some grocery stores, such as Brandon Tremblet’s Independent Grocer in London’s Wortley neighbourhood have started labelling Canadian products on shelves to make them easier for shoppers to identify. While the “Buy Canadian” movement is a unifying response to the looming trade war, identifying Canadian products is not always straightforward.
“There are lots of examples of different sectors where it becomes very difficult to feel confident
that this thing I’m not buying or buying is American or Canadian,” said Patricia Goff, professor in the department of political science at Laurier.
Goff explained that the only way to be certain of a product’s Canadian origin is through the “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada” designations.
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency , a food product that has a “Product of Canada” distinction must have all or nearly all of its major ingredients, processing and labor sourced from Canada.
A “Made in Canada” distinction means even if ingredients are sourced from other countries, the last significant transformation occurred in Canada. While challenges remain in buying only Canadian products, the “Buy Canadian” movement has encouraged many to support the local economy and show economic solidarity.
Bachir Miloudi/Lead Photographer
