Want to buy Canadian? How to find alternatives to big U.S. brands
UPDATE AS OF FEB. 3, 2025 AT 4:59 P.M. EASTERN: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the U.S. tariffs on Canada will be “paused” for 30 days. Read more about the announcement here.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs have fuelled a surge in people vowing online to “Buy Canadian.”
And while experts say there are ways to find alternatives to the big U.S. brands, there may still be some difficulty.
The push to buy domestically ramped up after Trump announced his long promised 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, with Canada planning to retaliate with $30 billion worth on American products, both set to take place Tuesday.
The tariffs will then rise to $125 billion in 21 days if the U.S. doesn’t remove the tariffs.
Tyler McCann, managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, said buying Canadian is a great way to invest in the country’s food system.
“The idea, the concept of buying more local really is just important and it’s a good one,” he said. “It’s really a good way overall to make our food system more resilient.”
He said when Canadians head to the store, people should not look at only the brand to determine if they’re buying local, but also at the label for information, including if it has a maple leaf on it.
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) this typically signifies “all or virtually all major ingredients, processing and labour used to make the food product are Canadian.”
Food economist Michael von Massow at the University of Guelph said while people might think to avoid U.S. brands like Lays potato chips or Samsung electronics, he cautions Canadians may need to consider alternatives they’re not used to, especially in the case of food.
If your favourite Kellogg’s cereal, for
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