Rising Tariffs: Tips for Choosing Canadian-Made Products and Saving on Groceries

Femme faisant ses courses à l'épicerie
To the point Discover Canadian alternatives, save on groceries and support the local economy.

The tariff increase has been postponed until early March, but in the meantime, here’s a guide to help you shop for “Made in Canada” products.

Brands to Support at the Grocery Store

Uncertainty over possible tariffs on certain American products will likely drive up grocery bills for Canadians. But there are ways to get around these future increases without depriving yourself. Here are our smart tips to keep your wallet full and to help you choose Canadian products.

Boycotting American Products in Grocery Stores

If imposed tariffs are on the horizon in the next few weeks, you have 4 options:

  • Continue to buy the American product, but at a higher price;
  • Buy the product made in Canada but with an American headquarters (like Kraft peanut butter made in Montreal or Hellman’s mayonnaise made with ingredients from Quebec, Ontario and the Prairies);
  • Buy the cheapest product, no matter where it comes from;
  • Buy a 100% local or Canadian products.
Épicerie - rabais - liquidation

Alternatives - American Products to Replace With Canadian Products

Here are some delicious home-grown products and brands to help fight rising tariffs:

Alternatives for Canadian Products: Beer and Alcohol

Canadian Club, Creemore Springs, Crown Royal, Crystal Head vodka, Distillerie Mariana, Georgian Bay, Granville Island Brewery, Long Table Distillery, Mill Street Brewery, Moosehead, Nutrl, Old Son’s Distillery, P.E.I Brewing Company, Pumphouse Brewery, Quidi Vidi Brewing Co, Shawbridge Microbrasserie, Sortilège Whisky and all your local microbreweries.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Beverages

BioSteel, Boissons 1642, bull’s Head, Rise, The pop Shoppe.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Bakery

Ben’s, Big Daddy, Bon Matin, Country Harvest, D’Italiano, Dempster’s, Gadoua, Fleischmann’s Yeast, Natural Bakery, POM, Première Moisson, Rogers, SaraLee, Stonemill, Takis, Vachon, Villaggio, Yumi Organics.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Coffee

49th Parallel, Balzac’s Coffee, Café William, Kicking Horse, Second Cup, Van Houtte.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Snacks

BonBon, Camino, Chagnon, Chapman’s, Coaticook, Covered Bridge, Cows Ice Cream, Dare, Foothills Creamery, McCain cakes, Hardbite, Island Farms, Kawartha Dairy, Laiterie de La Baie, Laura Secord, Leclerc, Made Good, Mondoux, OMG!, Prana, Purdy’s Chocolatier, Righteous, Theobroma, Twigz, Voortman, Yum Yum.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Bottled Water

Clearly Canadian, Eska, Montellier, Nutrinor.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Flour

Arva Mills, Creative Baker, Five Roses, La Milanaise, Prairie Flour Mills.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Juice

Allen’s, Del Monte, Fruité, Grown Right, Hydra+, Kiju organic, Oasis, Old South, Rougement, Ruby Kist, SunRype.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Milk, Cheese and Other Dairy Products

ADL, Agropur, Armstrong, Beatrice, Black Diamond, Bothwell Cheese, COWS Creamery, Eagle Brand, Earth’s Own, Enjoy!, fromage St. Albert, Gay Lea, Lactantia, Natrel, Natur-a, Nutrinor, Oka, Saputo, Shaw Ice Cream, Tre Stelle, Upper Canada Creamery.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Vegetables

Artic Gardens, Aylmer, Putter’s and Cavendish Farms.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Pet Food

Horizon, Nutrience, Performatrin, Pet Kind, Red Dog Blue Kat, Royal Canin (made in Canada by an American company), Skoki.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Hot Sauce

BBQ Quebec, Damn! La Pimenterie, Firebarns, La Voie Maltée, Peppermaster, Roi de la Sauce.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Personal Care

Artic Power, Attitude, Biovert, BKIND, Cascades, Cashmere, Comet, Green Beaver, Hertel, Karine Joncas, La Parisienne, Lise Watier, Live Clean, Marcelle, Nellie’s, Old Dutch, Purex, Royale, Spring Time, Unscented Company.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Tea

Amoda, DavidsTea, Four O’Clock, Pluck Tea.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Meat and Meat Substitutes

Gardein, Gaspésie, Lilydale, Maple Leaf, Maple Lodge Farms, Olymel, Pillers, Schneiders, Yves.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Yogurt

Astro, Riviera, Skotidakis.

Alternatives for Canadian Products - Others

And don’t forget Dainty Rice, Dr. Oetker’s Pizza, Jig-A-Loo, Elran, Foliot Furniture, Herschel Supply Co. bags, Giant Tiger, Skip the Dishes, Crave TV, Canadian Furniture, Hopper and Windsor Salt!

Another Way to Save at the Grocery Store

By leveraging rewards points with a credit card, your points will multiply faster than hotcakes.

You can save up to 6% with various credit cards, depending on your loyalty program:

Basic accumulation Program-affiliated credit card discount Credit card cash back with accelerated grocery discounts
MOI 0.8% (except Super C) 1.6% with the moi RBC Visa Card

5 %

American Express Cobalt® Card

National Bank World Elite Mastercard

BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*

Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

PC Optimum None

3,33 %

World Elite Mastercard PC

5 %

National Bank World Elite Mastercard

BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*

Scene+ None

6 %

Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

3 %

Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card

5 %

American Express Cobalt® Card

National Bank World Elite Mastercard

BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*

Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

Moi, Scene+ and PC Optimum let you save money with instant rebates on your purchases, and earn points redeemable for gift cards or even travel. It’s a doubly rewarding way to make the most of your grocery spending.

For maximum cash back and rewards to save on your groceries, check out our guides:

Made in Canada - Which Grocery Store to Choose?

Grocery stores in the Loblaws, Sobeys and Metro groups are supermarkets with Canadian owners.

Giant Tiger is a 100% Canadian company that stands out for its range of Canadian-made products, some of which are unique to the brand.

As for the big American retailers like Walmart or Costco, it’s important to note that they have a fairly significant local presence. They create jobs in the communities where they operate, and include a wide variety of Canadian products in their inventory.

You can factor these factors into your purchasing decision, according to your priorities and personal values.

Programme-Supermarche

Alternatives for Canada's Best Products

There are many ways for you to choose a Canadian product and earn valuable points at the same time. Whether you’re a fan of Canadian retailer rewards programs like PC Optimum, Moi or Scene+, or prefer to maximize your points with a credit card, the choice is yours.

In the end, it’s up to you to adopt the strategy that best suits your habits, values and budget. The key is to shop thoughtfully, while earning as many points as possible at each checkout.

What is a "Product of Canada"?

The “Product of Canada” label means that the product is made with 98% Canadian ingredients.

What does the "Made in Canada" label mean?

This “Made in Canada” label indicates that at least 51% of the content is of Canadian origin.

When will the U.S. president's tariff hike for Canada take effect?

There was a one-month reprieve. The date of entry of the tariff hike on Canadian imports from the U.S. is to be confirmed according to Donald Trump, but it could be in effect by early March 2025.

Does Mexico have a deal on US tariff hikes?

Not yet. The date of entry of the tariff threat has yet to be confirmed, but it could be effective in March 2025 in Mexico.

How do tariff increases in Canada and Mexico work?

Nothing is in effect yet. We will know by the beginning of March 2025.

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
Caroline Tremblay
Caroline Tremblay
Caroline, a loyalty program specialist, helps families maximize their points to travel more frequently and affordably. With expertise in Disney, AIR MILES, and Costco, she travels the world with her partner and two children through rewards. Passionate about the latest in loyalty programs, Caroline shares tips to help you earn more points and turn your travel dreams into reality.
All posts by Caroline Tremblay

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