Loblaw bringing back T symbols on tariff-affected items as trade tensions escalate

A sign advising that products from the U.S. affected by a tariff will be marked with a symbol at the shelf, along with a QR code linking to a Government of Canada website, is seen beside a display of Canadian products in a grocery store in Ottawa, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Loblaw Cos. Ltd. says it is bringing back T symbols to its grocery shelf labels to signal products affected by tariffs as the trade war between Canada and the United States escalates.

Chief executive Per Bank wrote in a LinkedIn post that customers will start noticing the new signs on a small number of products, which will grow as tariffs are applied across more categories.

The grocer will continue to use the maple leaf symbol in its stores to signal homegrown products and says it will also reintroduce country-of-origin labels in its fresh produce aisles.

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When trade tensions flared up last year, Loblaw introduced the T symbol to indicate to customers that a product’s price had risen due to tariffs.

Bank says the retailer is in a stronger position than the last time when tariffs were first introduced as it has revamped its supply chain to increase the number of domestic and non-U.S. suppliers it sources products from.

Major grocery chains scrambled to onboard local suppliers and placed symbols indicating domestic products last year when a buy Canadian movement swept the country amid geopolitical tensions.

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Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2026.