Canadian grocer Loblaw brings back Canadian product labels amid U.S.-Canada trade spat

Canada’s largest grocery chain, Loblaw Cos., is reinstating country-of-origin labels and maple leaf symbols in its stores to help shoppers identify Canadian-made products as U.S.-Canada trade tensions escalate. The move follows new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods and Canadian counter-tariffs on U.S. imports, prompting calls from Ontario Premier Doug Ford for retailers to prioritize domestic products. Loblaw, which reported C$64 billion ($46.1 billion) in annual sales in its most recent fiscal year, will mark tariff-affected U.S. imports with a “T” on shelves. The company’s spokesperson, Youmna Rab, stated that customers have expressed a desire to support Canadian farmers, producers, and businesses, and the retailer aims to make it easier for them to do so. The trade dispute has reignited consumer boycotts of U.S. goods in Canada, with many shoppers avoiding American products last year in protest of tariffs and political rhetoric. Negotiations between the two countries collapsed last week, leading to the White House imposing 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian items and threatening further measures. In response, the Canadian government unveiled a list of counter-tariffs on U.S.-made goods, including food, seafood, dairy, and cosmetics. Premier Ford has urged major retailers like Loblaw, Walmart, Sobeys, and Metro to prioritize Ontario-made products, emphasizing the need to protect the province’s economy amid the trade war.