Loblaw to identify products sourced from U.S. with ‘tariff’ symbol
Loblaw is making it easy for customers to identify which grocery products are caught in the crosshairs of Canada’s trade war with the U.S.
A new “T” symbol—standing for “tariffs”—will be slapped on labels for products sourced from America.
Loblaw Companies Ltd. president and CEO Per Bank said prices won’t rise immediately as a result of Canada’s counter-tariffs on U.S. goods like poultry, dairy and produce.
But when they do—on some items in as little as one to two weeks, he said—the new “T” symbol will help Loblaw’s customers make informed purchases.
READ: Loblaw CEO calls counter-tariffs ‘necessary,’ outlines grocer's plans
Bank said Loblaw will test the concept across its banners—which include Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills, Maxi and other grocery chains—and gather feedback from shoppers.
“We know affordability has been a challenge for so many Canadians, including the cost of groceries. We’ll continue to work with our suppliers to reduce the impact of these tariffs, but the unfortunate reality is that Canadians should be prepared to pay more for goods originating from the U.S. in the weeks ahead. However, there are non-U.S. options not affected by tariffs for many products and we are working hard every day to expand those options further,” Bank said on LinkedIn Monday (March 10).
Loblaw has an inventory of U.S. products in its distribution centres, Bank said, which it purchased before tariffs came into effect.
“That means the pricing of many products will not be impacted until we sell what we already have on hand,” he said.
Loblaw is already marking made-in-Canada products with a distinctive maple leaf.
“We are pro-Canada and not anti-USA. We have many trusted U.S. vendors, but we will be responsive to our customers needs,” Bank said. “Customers can be assured that when tariffs come off, any tariff pricing changes will be entirely removed.”
