More Islanders are shopping local as U.S. tariffs loom. Here's how to spot Canadian products
CBC
More Canadians, including Prince Edward Islanders, are joining the movement to support Canadian-made goods and buy local in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to impose hefty tariffs on Canadian products.
However, buying Canadian isn't always easy, says Pascal Thériault, an agriculture economist at McGill University.
For one thing, there's more than one kind of label to look for. And for another, shoppers don't always have the time to check every label.
Speaking with CBC's Island Morning, Thériault shared some tips on how to identify Canadian products.
Thériault said that foods such as eggs, chicken, turkey and dairy are usually a safe bet for those looking to avoid American products.
"Because they're under supply management, chances are they are Canadian products to start with," he told CBC's Island Morning.
Supply-managed products are those governed by a system where farmers collectively agree on production levels to meet domestic demand, according to the industry group Dairy Farmers of Canada. This system aims to provide farmers with a fair return for their products and ensure stable prices for consumers, while also limiting foreign imports to protect the domestic market.
When it comes to milk, Thériault suggests looking for the little blue cow logo from Dairy Farmers of Canada, which indicates the product is Canadian.
He said these markings are not mandatory, though, meaning some Canadian-made products may not have them.
Thériault said labels like "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada," while not mandatory, can also help identify Canadian goods.
For a product to be labelled "Product of Canada," at least 98 per cent of the total direct costs of producing or manufacturing the goods must be incurred in Canada.
Meanwhile, "Made in Canada" claims require at least 51 per cent of the total direct costs of producing or manufacturing the goods to be incurred in Canada, and the claim must be accompanied by a qualifying statement indicating the product contains imported parts.
In other words, a "Product of Canada" label signals a higher level of local content than "Made in Canada" does.
Many provinces have their own labelling campaigns to indicate local content, Thériault said.
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