More Canadians turn away from US goods

Trump's tariffs fuel 'Buy Canadian' shift

- SIDDHARTHA CAVALE NIVEDITA BALU JESSICA DINAPOLI

The "Buy Canadian" movement is sending new ripples of concern through the executive offices of US-based consumer companies that banked on selling their products on Canadian retail shelves.

California-based diaper maker Parasol Co has been working since January with a distributor to expand the sale of its diapers and baby wipes to new retailers in Canada, including convenience stores, CEO Jessica Hung said.

But, barely a week into the distributor, who Ms Hung declined to name, halted work on the deal, she said, because of growing anti-American sentiment in Canada.

They were instructed by a retailer to pause any American brand launch," Ms Hung said, referring to the distributor. "They told us they would re-evaluate when market conditions allow."

"That's the kind of disruption we would never expect," said Ms Hung. "I never heard of this happening until now. It's definitely quite a bit of headwinds."

SHOPPERS THINK TWICE

A dramatic reshuffling of Canada's retail shelves illustrates the impact of patriotic consumerism in Canada, which imported nearly $350 billion of products from the United States in 2024, making it its largest trading partner. US President Donald Trump's remarks on annexing Canada, the imposition of a 25% levy on steel and aluminum from Canada, and threats to tax all other imports from the country have prompted Canadians to eschew USmade products.