Shoppers willing to pay more for Canadian-grown goods amid trade war: survey

A new study finds that Canadians prefer to buy local groceries, even at a higher price.

More than half of Canadians are willing to spend more money on Canadian-grown produce, dairy or meat.

According to a new survey conducted by Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, 60.8 per cent of Canadians are open to paying five to 10 per cent more over American alternatives.

“These numbers signal a clear patriotic tilt in Canadian grocery aisles,” said lab director Sylvain Charlebois in a news release Friday.

“With nearly two-thirds of Canadians willing to spend more for homegrown food, the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement is not just symbolic—it’s a consumer-driven strategy in the face of geopolitical risk.”

Atlantic Canadians are slightly more likely to say they “always” pay more for Canadian food, which Sylvain said reflects regional loyalty to local farming and fishing industries.

The survey, which was conducted in late March in partnership with consumer insight platform Caddle, revealed 36.2 per cent of Baby Boomers were “always” willing to pay more, while Gen Z was the least likely to do so at 25.5 per cent. Respondents said prices are their main concern.

The 9,700 Canadians surveyed were also asked how they would respond to U.S. import disruptions.

• 39.6 per cent would seek out imports from other countries
• 37.6 per cent would buy more expensive Canadian alternatives
• 11.6 per cent would change their diet to avoid affected products
• 11.2 per cent would continue buying as usual

The survey showed 47.7 per cent believe Canadian food is superior in both quality and safety, while 1.5 per cent think U.S. food is superior. Nearly a third believe American food is comparable.

As the ‘Buy Canadian’ trend continues, and grocers highlight which products are Canadian and which are impacted by tariffs, Millennials and Gen X are the most likely to support transparent labelling.

Loblaws recently started adding signage to products directly impacted by tariffs by adding a “T” symbol, so consumers know the price has increased.

Of those surveyed, 60.6 per cent said the labelling is a “great idea,” while 11.3 per cent believe it’s “unnecessary,” and 10.2 per cent view it as a “political gesture.”