Canadian grocers pivoting away from U.S. products amid tariff threat – National

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********* grocers pivoting away from U.S. products amid tariff threat – National

With the threat of U.S. tariffs sparking a “Buy *********” movement, Canada’s grocers are pivoting away from American products and ramping up efforts to make more local alternatives available.

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It remains to be seen if U.S. President Donald Trump will slap sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on all ********* goods and 10 per cent tariffs on energy.

Those were set to go into effect on Feb. 4 before a 30-day pause was announced last week.

However, that month-long reprieve was interrupted on Monday as Trump imposed 25 per tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports coming to the United States, including from Canada.

He also on Monday threatened a tariff of between 50 and 100 per cent on ********* vehicles.

Tariff threats from the U.S. have given rise to a wave of “Buy *********” sentiment in Canada in recent weeks, with consumers ditching U.S. products for local ones and businesses giving more prominence to local options.

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2:10
Leaning into the growing ‘Buy *********’ movement

********* grocers Metro, Sobeys and Loblaw are among those honing in on the “Buy *********” movement.

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“In the current context, we are working to optimize the visibility of local and ********* products – in-store, online and on our various promotional tools like the weekly flyer – to make them easier to find for customers who want to prioritize them,” said Stephanie Bonk, a Metro spokesperson.

“You will see these efforts start to roll out later this week.”

In the event of a trade war, Bonk said the company will “continue to give priority to local ********* products whenever possible, while ensuring customers find the products they want, according to their values, budget and preferences.”

“Other countries might be alternatives to U.S.-sourced products if they meet our standards,” she said.

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2:04
Canadians vow to buy ********* amid Trump’s looming tariffs

Sobeys, which is owned by Empire Company Limited, said it already has a “clear and robust strategy that favours and displays local products” in its stores across the country.

“In light of recent developments, we are working to amplify this very successful local program while also accelerating the sourcing of ********* products as alternatives to products on the tariff list,” said Tshani Jaja, a Sobeys spokesperson.

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“We will be using all of our communication channels, including in-store, to clearly identify ********* products and give them greater prominence.”

In response to Trump’s executive order for the original vow of 25 per cent tariffs on ********* goods, Canada released its own list of planned counter-tariffs, which includes dozens of grocery items.

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5:13
Want to ‘Buy *********’? Here’s what to look for on the label

Loblaw CEO Per Bank has warned that a trade war could hit consumers in Canada and the U.S.

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“The cost of living, including the price of food, has been challenging. A trade war would do nothing to make that reality any better on both sides of the border, especially for customers. That’s our primary concern,”

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To minimize the impacts, Loblaw is “doubling down on securing food grown and made in Canada,” Bank said.

“Where we have had to purchase products made in the U.S., we will look for alternatives including products from Mexico which has also been subjected to these unnecessary tariffs,” he added.

A Loblaw spokesperson told Global News the company is looking to broaden its supply chain beyond the U.S. and is showcasing products prepared in Canada.

To help shoppers buy local, Loblaw added a new feature last week in its PC Optimum app that lets users swap staples on their grocery list with products prepared in Canada.

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