Several Canadian federal departments say they had “Buy Canadian” policies in place before the mandatory date kicked in for the announcement that Prime Minister Mark Carney had made in the fall.
More than half did not have one in place until the implementation date, according to information provided by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat following Global News’ questions on order paper responses tabled two weeks ago.
“While departments started to implement the Prime Minister’s Buy Canadian direction at that time, mandatory requirements under the Buy Canadian policy came into force on December 16, 2025,” a spokesperson for the department said.
The statement also reads that “the Buy Canadian Policy Framework applies to all federal departments and agencies listed in Schedules I, I.1 and II of the Financial Administration Act. Crown corporations can be directed to apply this policy through existing authorities under section 89 of the Financial Administration Act.”
On Sept. 5, 2025, Carney announced the “Buy Canadian” policy, saying he would “ensure the federal government buys from Canadian suppliers.”
According to a news release, the policy “aims to prioritize Canadian suppliers and content in federal procurement, making Canada its own best customer by strengthening domestic industries and supporting Canadian workers.”
Conservative MP Kelly Block (Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek) had submitted an order of paper questions on Dec. 8, 2025, inquiring on how many departments had put the policy into place after the Sept. 5 announcement, and which received a response on Jan. 26.
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Out of the 32 institutions, 21 of them stated they either did not have a Buy Canadian policy in place at the time the question was posed or “did not have a directive in place regarding the Prime Minister’s Sept. 5, 2025, announcement of a Buy Canadian Policy.”
Ten of them confirmed that a policy was in place before it was mandatory:
- Department of Canadian Heritage
- Department of Employment and Social Development
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans
- Department of Health
- Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Department of Industry
- Department of Justice
- Department of Public Works and Government Services
- Department of Transportation
- Treasury Board Secretariat
Departments such as the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development were among those that said they did not have a Buy Canadian policy in place at the time, among others listed below.
- Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
- Women and Gender Equality Canada
- Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Department of Citizenship and Immigration
- Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
- Department of Finance
- Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
- Department of Natural Resources
- Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
- Department of the Environment
- Department of Veteran Affairs
- Department of Western Economic Diversification
- Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
- Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
- Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
- Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
- Canada Revenue Agency
- Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency responded that the institution “has nothing to report” in regard to this inquiry.
Many of the responses noted that the departments support “the implementation of policies led by other government departments, including the Buy in Canada policy provisions.”
The Buy Canadian movement surged in the first half of the year in response to multiple rounds of tariffs imposed by the American administration beginning soon after U.S. President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2025, with polling from Ipsos for Global News showing the sentiment remains strong.
Trump has also threatened to impose a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian goods on Jan. 24, 2026, following the decision to expand economic ties with China.
The Canadian government has encouraged consumers to “switch from purchasing American products to those made in Canada” in an effort to “help support Canadian businesses by increasing their domestic sales, especially if their exports are impacted by U.S. tariffs.
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