What began as a consumer response to US tariffs has evolved into a permanent shift in Canadian shopping habits, forcing grocers to rethink sourcing, labelling, and their entire approach to the American market.

A growing consumer push to buy Canadian and boycott US products is reshaping supermarket shelves across Canada, forcing grocers to improve country-of-origin labelling and secure new sources of supply, according to a Reuters report.

In Ontario, Giancarlo Trimarchi, president of independent grocer Vince’s Market, turned to Facebook to show customers that most produce on his shelves is Canadian after receiving angry emails and comments about the grocer stocking US produce. A bitter trade war between the United States and Canada has made consumers more conscious of where their dollars go.

“Buy Canadian” movements started last year after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods. They have intensified in recent weeks after trade talks broke down and Trump signed an executive order to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America.

“It is a lot more aggressive this time around than last year,” Trimarchi said in an interview.

A Balancing Act for Grocers

Trimarchi’s four stores, spread across the Greater Toronto Area, now have about 90% Canadian produce. He is now sourcing strawberries from Quebec instead of the United States and said he has cut his advertising budget as the changes have pressured operating costs.

“We were always put in a position where you had to balance quality versus price. Now it’s quality versus price versus country of origin,” Trimarchi said.

Loblaw Cos, Canada’s largest food retailer, in August brought back large signs featuring a maple leaf in its produce and fresh-food sections after a brief hiatus to flag the Canadian origins of products. Loblaw also reintroduced a “T” tag to inform customers which products are affected by tariffs and make Canadian products easier to identify.

Metro, the country’s third-largest grocer, said it would continue to prioritize local Canadian products in the current context.

“There has been a permanent change in the Canadian psyche,” said Gary Sands, senior vice president of public policy and advocacy for the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.

Shifting Trade Data

Canada is the world’s fifth-largest importer of fresh vegetables by value. The United States is still the biggest supplier of fresh produce, accounting for more than half of the imports, followed by Mexico. However, the share of Canada’s vegetable imports from the United States fell to 62.6% in July, the latest government data showed, from 69% in the same month of 2023, before Trump was elected. More than half of Canada’s fruit imports came from the United States as of July. Trade talks broke down on August 21, spurring a new round of tariffs and counter tariffs.

A Personal Choice for Consumers

John Ambard, 27, a software engineer who lives in downtown Toronto, said he has tried to avoid buying American products when possible, preferring to support Canadian brands and businesses. Ambard said he checks product labels and researches companies online to identify Canadian-made goods.

“I think, honestly, if I can support Canadian products and Canadian institutions through these tough times, I think that’s a way to help in my small way,” Ambard said. “I’m a little bit mad with America right now with how things are going. The attitude has just not been that of a friend”.

The Broader Boycott Movement

The consumer push is part of a wider national movement. A survey released by the Angus Reid Institute found that when asked to describe their feelings about the ongoing Canada-US trade dispute, one-in-five respondents expressed frustration or anger, followed by 12% who cited anxiety, fear and uncertainty, and 7% who reported feeling disappointment.

Retail tracking data from NielsenIQ found that during the initial round of bilateral trade friction in early 2025, sales of US food products in Canada fell nearly 7%, while sales of American alcohol plummeted by two-thirds after provincial liquor boards removed them from shelves.

According to the Angus Reid Institute, roughly 40% of grocery shoppers and 39% of alcohol buyers now check product origins, with a majority opting to put American items back on the shelf. More than half of Canadians are unwilling to buy US-made vehicles, while 60% avoid American alcohol, and over 70% would keep US eggs and dairy products out of their carts.

Retailers Respond

Major Canadian retailers have moved swiftly to align with public sentiment. Loblaw reintroduced the “T” symbol on shelf labels to signal price increases caused by US tariffs, while using maple leaf icons to promote domestic goods.

“Customers have told us they want to support Canadian farmers, producers, entrepreneurs, and businesses. We want to make doing that easier,” said Youmna Rab, the retail communications manager at Loblaw, in a statement.

Sobeys, Canada’s second-largest grocery chain, also affirmed that it would continue to spotlight domestic items on shelves.

Jasmin Guenette, vice-president of national affairs at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, told local media that businesses should take advantage of the current sentiment to advertise “Made in Canada” products. He said that despite the uncertainty tariffs impose on businesses, there is strong consumer solidarity for local brands.

Winners and Losers

The boycott has created opportunities for some Canadian businesses while devastating others south of the border. A craft brewery owner in Winnipeg said that before the tariff dispute, the distillery was limited to stocking just two or three bottled products on store shelves. The removal of American liquor cleared valuable shelf space, allowing the business to list five to six products, boosting sales by 15 to 20%.

The government of Saskatchewan announced it would impose a 50% tariff on US alcohol starting September 8. While Saskatchewan chose not to mandate a blanket ban or removal of American alcohol like several other provinces, sales of US liquor there have already fallen by about 40%, highlighting the impact of voluntary consumer boycotts.

On the American side, the damage has been severe. Kentucky-based Brown-Forman Corp., the maker of Jack Daniel’s, said Canadian organic net sales plummeted more than 60% in the first half of the 2026 fiscal year. The boycott has cost American distillers hundreds of millions of dollars in sales, with one industry representative reporting that the US has lost 73% of its exports to Canada. Sales of US wine to Canada have slumped 91% since 2024.

Tourism Takes a Hit

Beyond food and everyday products, the boycott is also playing out in tourism. The tourism boycott led to a 25% drop in the number of Canadians traveling to the United States last year, though it has begun to show signs of losing steam in recent months. In 2025, Canadian travel to the US fell 21%, draining an estimated $4.4 billion from the American economy. As of August 2026, return trips by air were still 22.7% below their August 2024 level.

Tariffs Escalate

The consumer movement has been fueled by an escalating tariff war. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on a wide array of US goods took effect on September 8, ranging from 15% to 50% across hundreds of US products worth a total of CA$27.6 billion, including dairy, agricultural equipment, paper, household appliances and electronics. Canadian tariffs on US steel, aluminum and iron products doubled to 50%, while furniture, motorbikes, clothing and some beauty products were among the goods hit with the highest rate.

Ottawa called the move a “dollar for dollar” response to the US slapping new 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian wine, hockey sticks and other key goods on August 22.

President Trump had already ratcheted up tensions with Canada by calling for a boycott of Canadian airplane manufacturer Bombardier. “NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank’”.

The Road Ahead

Trade talks between the two countries remain stalled. Officials from each side have publicly blamed the other for the failure to reach a deal. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has maintained Canada walked away after the US side introduced “last-minute changes” that the government deemed “unfair” and “uneconomic”.

Carney has called on the Trump administration to “knock off the trash talk” before serious discussions can resume. “When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, stop trying to be tough and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions. But look, it’s not constructive, but that is their democracy,” Carney said.

For now, the boycott shows no signs of fading. What began as a reaction to tariffs has become something deeper — a permanent shift in how Canadians view their southern neighbour and where they choose to spend their money.