Unifor urges consumers to buy Canadian

A consumer boycott of U.S.made products and services is gathering steam as Canada counts down to this weekend’s imposition of retaliatory tariffs on $16.6 billion worth of American products. Popular hashtags include #BuyCanadian and #BoycottUSA, as consumers express their dislike of U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum as of June 1 and threats of levies on Canadamade vehicles.

“I really don’t like Trump, that’s what it stems from,” said Beth Mouratidis, a 54-year-old from Barrie, Ont. She has been avoiding buying U.S. products for about a year and posting her findings on Facebook, along with shared tips and information from her friends.

She said the trade war is costing Canadian and U.S. jobs and she wants to help stop that by buying locally-made products, such as Chapman’s ice cream.

Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union introduced its “I Shop Canada” national social media campaign on Thursday, urging consumers to support Canadian jobs by buying and promoting local products.

“U.S. trade attacks on Canada are a clear and present threat to our national economy,” Unifor national president Jerry Dias said. “I firmly believe that if aware and given the choice, consumers will gladly support Canadian brands and services and the jobs behind them.”

An online poll conducted by Abacus Data in the first week of June found that more than half of 2,200 Canadians surveyed said they intend to avoid buying U.S. wines and cross-border shopping.