Canadian shoppers turn to local goods as US trade war escalates

September 12, 2026 at 05:52 AM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Canadian consumers are increasingly choosing domestically made products as US tariffs and annexation rhetoric strain relations. Prime Minister Mark Carney accused Washington of inserting last-minute demands before 50 percent tariffs on nearly $20bn of Canadian goods took effect on August 22. Canada responded on Tuesday with retaliatory tariffs of 15 to 50 percent on roughly $20bn of US imports.

Key Facts

US tariffs of 50 percent on nearly $20bn of Canadian products, including machinery, textiles and hockey sticks, took effect on August 22.
Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs of 15 to 50 percent on roughly $20bn of US imports on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said US negotiators inserted last-minute demands that were "uneconomic, unfair and undermined the net benefits for Canada".
Margaret Chapman, COO of Narrative Research, said the buy-Canadian sentiment is "very strong, and it's ongoing, and it's probably set to last".

Consumer Shift

Shoppers like Toronto software developer Mateus Gujrel are actively seeking Canadian-made products, using maple leaf labels in stores as a guide. Gujrel switched his almond milk brand and replaced LaCroix sparkling water with a Canadian alternative. He told Al Jazeera outside a No Frills grocery store on Wednesday that "anything that we can clearly see that's Canadian, we will take". Margaret Chapman of Narrative Research said her firm has tracked Canadian attitudes toward domestic buying for about a year and a half.

Trade War Escalation

In late August, negotiations failed to prevent Trump's threatened 50 percent tariffs on nearly $20bn of Canadian products. The tariffs took effect on August 22, covering machinery, textiles and hockey sticks. Prime Minister Mark Carney accused the US of inserting last-minute demands that were "uneconomic, unfair and undermined the net benefits for Canada". On Tuesday, Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs of between 15 and 50 percent on roughly $20bn of US imports.