7 Signs The US Boycott And “Buy Canadian” Movement Are Having A Major Effect

The Trump administration’s ominous annexation threats and unprovoked economic aggression have touched off an unprecedented surge in Canadian nationalism that has swept this country like a prairie fire. This swell of patriotism has taken tangible form in the US goods and travel boycott, and the Buy Canadian movement.

Far from symbolic, the actions of Canadian consumers are having a real-world impact. From pickles to pizza, here are seven signs the surge in Canadian economic nationalism is having a significant effect.

1) A BC pickle company pausing online sales due to incredibly high demand

“Due to high demand due to the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement, we had to pause online sales”. BC Brine must be overjoyed – that’s the type of announcement every business would love to make. As of writing, the statement remains up on their website – looks like they will have to ramp up production!

BC Brine was “started in the winter of 2018 by two young entrepreneurs with the simple goal of making good pickled products”. They operate out of the small community of Falkland, BC (population: 946). This community happens to be known for the massive Canadian flag they put up on a nearby hillside in 1992 as part of the “I Care” campaign launched by Falkland to challenge communities across the country to show their patriotism by flying the national flag.

2) Purdys selling chocolate outside its own stores for the first time in 118 years

Quoting a report by the Canadian Press:

“Purdys Chocolatier says the buy Canadian movement has generated so much demand for its products that it decided to sell them outside its own stores for the first time in its 118-year history.

The Vancouver-based confectionary company’s products can now be found on the shelves of Save-On-Foods, a western Canadian grocer.

It was inspired to make the leap because of the wave of patriotism U.S. President Donald Trump sparked when he started threatening Canada with hefty tariffs at the start of the year.”

3) Travel to the US from Canada is in freefall

It’s not just products in stores that are being affected by the deterioration in Canada-US relations. Travel from Canada to the US has been steadily declining, a trend which shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. Quoting from a Global News article:

“Canada saw a seventh straight month of declines in travel by residents to the U.S. in July, according to preliminary data released Monday.

Statistics Canada released a report showing the number of Canadians who made a return trip from the U.S. by car dropped 36.9 per cent [emphasis mine] in July compared to the same month in 2024.

But it wasn’t just travel by land that dropped. Data shows Canadians returning from the U.S. by air decreased by 25.8 per cent [emphasis mine] compared to a year ago.”

4) Some US states are starting to beg Canadian tourists to come back

In a July 23rd press release, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz let it be known that he is “extending an invitation to Canadians to visit Minnesota, reaffirming the state’s long-standing relationship with Canada”. The governor emphasized the close connections between his state and its northern neighbour, and encouraged Canadians to start visiting again:

“More than half of Minnesota’s international visitors come from Canada…We value that connection and the many ways our cultures overlap – from hockey to fishing, and from buffalo plaid to a bold winter spirit. We want our Canadian neighbors know [sic] they’re not just welcome here – they’re encouraged to visit and continue our long friendship.”

5) A Victoria grocery store hasn’t sold US produce in 117 days – and shoppers are loving it

When trade tensions and annexation threats first began, Urban Grocer set an initial goal of reducing US produce to 20% – and then thought, why not 0%?

6) Border counties are starting to feel the economic pain of boycotts

Washington’s northern Whatcom county is where many British Columbians used to load up on groceries (especially dairy products), gasoline, and mountains of cheap consumer goods – until now.

According to a study by Western Washington University, businesses in the county are feeling the pain of the Canadian travel boycott:

“Over half of respondents (n=30) stated that their business had been impacted by a change and/or drop in cross-border travelers. Of those, 73% (n=22) were small or medium-sized businesses primarily in retail and hospitality. Smaller businesses often work on tight margins and have less capacity to weather economic storms.”

One survey respondent reported losing half of their Canadian customers in one fell swoop: “Canadians make up 25-30% of our total customer base. We are missing at least half of those customers”.

7) Consumer data shows Canadians are favouring domestic brands

A new report from The Harris Poll, an American market research company, finds that “[Canadian] economic nationalism is a social movement first and foremost, tied to a broader renewal in Canadian patriotism and unity in the face of a perceived common threat”.

And it turns out this resurgence in Canadian economic nationalism is backed up in consumer data for pizza purchases! Quoting from the report:

“Similarly, domestic pizza chains like Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 have grown in consideration since February, at a rate of 0.17% and 5.56% per month, while American competitors like Pizza Hut (-0.92%) and Papa John’s (-3.92%) have seen a decrease over the same period.

The effect is significant and suggests Canadians are substituting foreign products for domestic ones…”