The “Buy Canadian” movement continues to gather momentum as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens additional tariffs aimed at devastating the Canadian economy.
And companies are taking more steps to make it easier for people trying to find those products, with experts warning of the risks of “maple-washing” at the same time.
“You see it on labels where it says ‘designed in Canada,’ but it’s manufactured in the United States,” said Peter Chapman, founder of SKUFood and a former Loblaw executive. “But I think consumers are at the point where they’re saying, ‘We’re looking for products that are produced in Canada.’”
Whether it’s changing labels to say that exact phrase or adding a maple leaf to their sticker, companies are finding new ways to not only ease the shopping process but bring new customers to their brand.
“They are kind of almost inserting themselves into the movement themselves rather than being outside the movement,” said …