As the Canada-U.S. trade war continues, more Canadians are choosing Canadian-made products, while businesses are changing where they get their supplies.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced the province will impose a 50 per cent tax on American alcohol starting Sept. 8. Experts say the higher prices could encourage shoppers to choose Canadian beer, wine and spirits.
Store manager Alex Wasylenko said more customers are asking where products are made and are showing greater interest in Canadian brands.
The buy Canadian movement is also spreading to other industries. Chapman’s, one of Canada’s largest ice cream companies, said it plans to replace more than 70 per cent of its American ingredients with Canadian or other non-U.S. sources by mid-2027.
The company said it has been working to change its suppliers without raising prices for customers.
Finding Canadian products
The growing interest in Canadian products has also led to new online tools.
Brydon Parker created MadeInCanada.dev, a website that helps shoppers find Canadian brands and products. The site covers categories such as clothing, food, home goods and technology.
Parker said the website normally gets between 10 and 100 visitors a day, but traffic recently reached about 1,000 visitors in a single day.
He believes the growing interest in Canadian products will continue as the trade dispute puts more focus on supporting local businesses.
