On August 22 Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada will remove all tariffs on goods from the United States that are covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) by September 1.
We wanted to know if this change would prompt Canadian shoppers to put their elbows down, so we asked 1,102 of our agents how reduced tariffs on U.S. goods might change their grocery shopping habits. The answer? For most, not much.
Half of respondents said they’ll continue to buy Made in Canada products whenever possible, and another 25% said they’ll still lean Canadian, just not quite as strictly. Only 6% plan to shift back toward more U.S. products, while 20% admitted they never really made the switch in the first place.
So, what does this tell us?
Even with fewer barriers for U.S. goods, Canadians still have their elbows up when it comes to supporting local. Price and convenience may play a role, but the loyalty to Canadian-Made is alive and well.
That means even as store shelves get more competitive, choosing Canadian continues to be more than a trend. It’s a mindset.