Toronto, Sept. 12 (SANA)A growing consumer campaign to buy Canadian and boycott US products is reshaping supermarket shelves across Canada, prompting grocers to improve country-of-origin labeling and seek alternative suppliers.

The “Buy Canadian” movement began after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods and has intensified since bilateral trade talks collapsed on Aug. 21, triggering a new round of tariffs and counter-tariffs. Trump’s executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” has further fueled public anger, Reuters reported.

Trump said in Dublin on Saturday that Canada was eager to reach an agreement and that a deal could come “fairly soon,” while again accusing Ottawa of treating US farmers unfairly and calling for the removal of Canadian tariffs.

Giancarlo Trimarchi, president of Ontario-based Vince’s Market, said his four stores now stock about 90% Canadian produce after customers complained about US-grown products. The company has replaced US strawberries with supplies from Quebec, although higher sourcing costs forced it to reduce advertising spending.

Grocers must now balance price and quality with country of origin, Trimarchi said.

Loblaw, Canada’s largest food retailer, has reinstated prominent maple-leaf signs identifying Canadian produce and fresh food. It has also brought back a “T” label marking tariff-affected goods, while Metro, the country’s third-largest grocer, said it would continue prioritizing Canadian products.

The change is also evident in trade figures. Although the United States remains Canada’s largest source of fresh produce, its share of Canadian vegetable imports fell to 62.6% in July from 69% in the same month of 2023. More than half of Canada’s fruit imports still come from the United States.

Canadian consumers such as Toronto software engineer John Ambard said they were checking labels and researching manufacturers to avoid US goods and support domestic companies during the trade dispute.

Canada’s severe winters make replacing imported produce difficult, as retailers depend heavily on greenhouses, stored root vegetables and generally cheaper foreign supplies. The government is investing about C$3 billion over 10 years in greenhouse construction to increase winter production and curb food inflation, which is among the highest in the Group of Seven economies.

Other retailers are diversifying internationally. Mike Dean Local Grocer, which operates in rural Ontario and Quebec, is buying more produce from Spain, Brazil and Honduras. Owner Gordon Dean said the new supply chains offered greater diversity and security, making an immediate return to US suppliers unlikely.

However, differing provincial regulations and restrictions complicate the movement of food within Canada and keep many retailers dependent on US suppliers.

University of Guelph professor Mike von Massow said economic considerations could regain influence if relations improve, particularly under a future US administration, because American products are often cheaper. However, he said Canada-US trade ties might never fully return to their previous state.