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 Francois Neville, an associate professor of strategic management at McMaster University’s Degroote School of Business.
“They are seen as pillars of the fabric of Canadian society by endearing themselves to the movement.”
At the same time, navigating which labels are legitimately reflecting Canadian ownership or production can be tricky, and the different labels can mean different things beyond just “made in Canada” or “product of Canada,” which are terms regulated by federal criteria.
A “product of Canada” can be labeled as such when all or virtually all major ingredients, processing and labour used to make the food product are Canadian.
“Made in Canada,” on the other hand, is used when the “last substantial transformation of the product occurred in Canada, even if some ingredients are from other countries.”
When it comes to non-food items, the former definition applies when Canadian content makes up 98 per cent of the product, while “Made in Canada” items are subject to a 51 per cent threshold.
This month, the federal government took its own step to create a guide on how to buy, sell and support Canadian, including defining each type of label.
The federal government guide also offers more clarity around labelling food as “local” when it’s produced in the province or territory in which it’s sold, or sold across provincial borders within 50 kilometres of the originating region.
It’s all part of companies trying to make the most of an opportunity, experts say.
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“This would be, in my time in the industry, probably the best opportunity that Canadian-produced products have to get a chance of being purchased,” Chapman said.
“Now, because there’s something different that’s impacting that purchase decision, they’re (Canadian companies) able to pry them (people) away from some of those long-established brands and get them to buy the Canadian-produced product.”
Maple Leaf Foods is one such example of changing its labels, with the company telling Global News it has added “Proudly Canadian” stickers to its Prime RWA fresh poultry products, “to reinforce and make clear that it is a Canadian product.”
“This product packaging already had icons or labels indicating the product was Raised on Canadian farms, but we’ve recently added the ‘Proudly Canadian’ stickers,” a spokesperson wrote in an email.
The company says that since February, it has incorporated “Made in Canada,” “Canadian Crafted,” and “Proudly Canadian” across various platforms, and launched a “Look for the Leaf” marketing campaign with companies like Gay Lea, Dare Foods and Chapman’s.
Chapman’s chief operating officer Ashley Chapman pointed to its decision to incorporate the Canadian flag into its logo about 15 years ago as one such example of communicating the company’s Canadian ties, though there are no plans to further change its label.
“For our maple leaf on our logo we actually had to apply to the federal government to use the same maple leaf and to use the Canadian flag,” he told Global News in an interview.
Chapman also cited the recent announcement by the company that it would absorb the “immediate” cost hikes due to tariffs in an effort to further help Canadians.
“We already knew that people were struggling and these tariffs are going to make your average Canadian struggle even more,” he said. “If the Chapman family needs to tighten their belts to ensure that Canadians at least have those simple pleasures … then it’s the least we can do.”
At the same time, there have been growing numbers of Canadians taking to social media to note when they feel a company or brand is inaccurately using the maple leaf on their branding amid the trade war.
Canadians on Reddit have reported multiple instances of “maple-washing,” with some posting photos of items like Passata sauce that’s a “product of Italy” but includes a maple leaf to indicate a Canadian product, or cherry tomatoes labeled with a Canadian flag despite it saying “product of USA” on the container.
“It’s going to get more and more difficult for the Canadian consumer as things go forward because a lot of companies are actively changing their packing,” Ashley Chapman cautioned. “They may be taking liberties, so to speak.”
The federal government’s new portal says people should not assume a product is from the country “just because it displays red colours or a maple leaf design.”
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency told Global News earlier this month that it has seen an increase in complaints related to the country of origin on food labels or in advertisements, with 23 reported in February and four between March 1 to 5.
Global News has requested updated numbers but did not receive them by deadline.
Neville said companies would risk reputational harm by doing so.
“What is the risk of a reputational penalty if you are exposed as a ‘maple-washer?’” he said.
“Companies have been exposed doing things like greenwashing … so if companies were inclined to, let’s call it ‘maple wash,’ this wouldn’t be without risk.”
It’s yet to be seen how long the “Buy Canadian” movement will continue, but Peter Chapman added it could present a great opportunity for Canadian companies to get noticed because the ongoing rhetoric from the U.S. may have a lasting impact on consumer buying.
“I’ve never seen consumers change so fast and be very much aligned,” he said.
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