Small signs adorned with maple leaves dot grocery store aisles from coast to coast, making it a little easier for shoppers to identify Canadian products. For many, it’s an exercise in avoiding American goods as much as it is an opportunity to seek out domestic alternatives. After months of tariff bluster and annexation threats from the White House, new polling from Vancouver firm Research Co. shows just 26 per cent of Canadians hold a positive view of the United States. “It’s lower than the way that Canadians feel about Saudi Arabia, which is something that we didn’t quite expect when we were looking at the numbers,” said Research Co. president Mario Canseco. On Wednesday, the CEO of grocery giant Loblaw Companies Ltd. said he doesn’t think the buy Canadian trend will last. “Maybe a third of it will stick,” Per Bank told investors and analysts on an earnings call where he also highlighted $14.1-billion in first quarter revenue. Given the uncertainty of Canada’s future relationship with the United States, primarily because of President Donald Trump’s unpredictability, Canseco doesn’t expect prominent country-of-origin signage to disappear from grocery stores any time soon. “The fact that the consumer is asking for this and those who are selling the products are doing it certainly suggests that it’s going to continue,” Canseco said.
