‘Buy Canada, Bye America’: Trump’s Taunts Spur Fury in the North

In Canadian grocery stores, U.S.-grown produce is wilting on the shelves. Local executives are scouring wine lists over dinner to avoid ordering California pinot. And in Toronto, a 73-pound Great Pyrenees-Poodle mix named Izzy is no longer allowed to eat American dog food.

As U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs, made 51st state jabs and referred to the country’s prime minister as “Governor Trudeau,” furious Canadian consumers have turned into vindictive shoppers: American-made products are out; everything else is in.

Ellen Bessner, a Toronto-based securities litigator and Izzy’s owner, recently went through her house looking for U.S. products to replace. The last one standing is an American brand of makeup remover — she’s now searching for a Canadian alternative to switch out before the bottle is even empty.

“I have always been focused on ‘buy Canada,’ but with the threat of tariffs, I am taking it up several notches,” said Bessner, a partner at Babin Bessner Spry. 

It’s a significant shift for a country that purchases almost as much in U.S. goods each year as the entire European Union — a total of $349.4 billion in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Canada has also been the largest source of foreign tourists to the U.S., according to the U.S. Travel Association, with travelers spending $20.5 billion last year. Now, many are cancelling trips.

“It speaks to an awareness — and an intention to vote with their wallets,” said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute. A survey of 3,310 Canadians released by the Vancouver-based research firm February 19 found that 85% of people plan to replace U.S. products with alternativ…