Canadians across the country are calling for a consumer boycott of U.S. products in protest of Trump and his recent trade tariffs. But while a boycott may seem to be an effective approach in theory, it won’t have any useful impact unless there’s some sort of profit to Canadian industries resulting from it.
Realistically speaking, almost every product Canadians buy will benefit the U.S. somehow. That’s why some experts are advising Canadians who plan to boycott U.S. products to also couple that action with the purchasing of Canadian-made products. Tom Yun, a writer for Maclean’s, wrote a useful guide to shopping during the Canada-U.S. trade war. He mentioned that Canadians can “ramp up the pressure” in key U.S. political constituencies by foregoing products on Canada’s tariff list.
Canadians can also still choose to go with the homemade versions of products that may not be on the tariff list. Because at the end of the day, it never hurts to buy Canadian.
That being said, here’s a starter list of Canadian equivalents to U.S. products you can buy instead (Note that while some of these brands are American-owned, supporting them will still somehow benefit Canadian industries):
@secondcupcanadaSecond Cup
Skip the Starbucks and Tim Hortons — Second Cup is a Canadian retailer with over 300 cafes across the country. They may not grow their own coffee beans, but you would still be supporting a Canadian company.
@awlexingtonA&W
A&W was originally American-based restaurant chain, but eventually became Canadian. The main company is based in North Vancouver, BC.
@frenchsFrench’s ketchup
French’s began sourcing its tomatoes from Leamington, Ontario, the “tomato capital of Canada,” shortly after Heinz left the town to produce in Fremont, Ohio instead.
@harvestbrewsCanadian alcoholic beverages
Crown Royal and J.P. Wiser’s Deluxe are both are Canadian-made whiskies, compared to Jim Bean and Jack Daniel’s which are American. Beer brands like Molson, Labatt and Alexander Keith’s are obviously Canadian as well. Canadian wine lovers should also check out provincial products from wineries in Niagara, Prince Edward Country, etc.
@minutemaid_usMinute Maid
Buyin Minute Maid orange juice would help support the company operating in Peterborough, Ont.
@wiredmessengerAny CARA restaurant
CARA Operations Limited is a Canadian company that operates several known chains, including Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet, Kelsey’s, Milestones, Montana’s, East Side Mario’s, New York Fries and more.
@meheureuseCascade toilet paper
Cascades is a company based in Quebec that serves as a good alternative to Kimberly-Clark and Charmin equivalents, which are manufactured largely in Pennsylvania.
@swarbeeLiberté yogurt
Like Cascades toilet paper, Liberté is also produced in Quebec. It also sources its dairy from there.
@autoloversonlyCars and vehicles
General Motors — the Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and Cadillac XTS are manufactured in Oshawa, Ont.
Fiat — the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Pacifica are manufactured in Windsor, Ont.
Toyota — the Toyota Corolla and Lexus RX are manufactured in Cambridge, Ont.
Honda — the Honda CR-V and Civic are manufactured in Alliston, Ont.