What is the ‘Buy Canadian’ Movement?

(small.news) — Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, nearly every country has been threatened with high tariffs, and Canadians have decided to take it upon themselves to try and make a change.

The “Buy Canadian” movement, which was initially a short-term initiative, has become a much larger shift toward prioritizing products made in Canada instead of imported products. Canadians are showing that they would rather support their local economies, which will bode well for Canadian small business owners.

An April report from NielsenIQ (NIQ) said, “Retailers and brands, take note—this is more than a moment. It’s a mindset. And it’s reshaping what loyalty, value, and national identity look like in the Canadian aisle… From boycotting U.S.-made goods to choosing Canadian products even when they’re not the easiest or cheapest option, shoppers are putting their wallets where their values are.”

Most Canadians Believe US Tariffs Will Negatively Impact Daily Life: Study

The study from NIQ also found that 92% of Canadians in April thought the tariffs would impact their daily lives in a negative way. Many Canadians also said they would continue to boycott U.S.-made products.

The managing director of NielsenIQ Canada, Mike Ljubicic, said, “What matters is how they vote with their wallets. Some are going to say they’re not going to buy American products or they’re going to boycott them… At the end of the day… we see it in the stores. We see the way they’re behaving.”

Major Brands Taking Part in ‘Buy Canadian’ Movement

NIQ found that major brands and retailers are also participating in the movement. Safeway, for example, has signs up that say “Buy Canadian,” and Loblaws has marked products that are affected by tariffs with a T, according to Retail Insider.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers had been turning to discounted and private label items before going back to other products when times got better. However, that is changing now.

Ljubicic said, “What we’re seeing, though, in the last four or five years, is consumers just have less money in their wallets. Everything’s gone up—not just food. And people are just being more frugal with their money.”

When it comes to small businesses, Ljubicic believes this could be a good time for them. “It might be the opportunity where we’re going to see more Canadian brands emerge, local companies emerge… And if they can stay price-competitive, I think people will continue to vote and support that moving forward,” he said.