Canadians may need to rethink their ketchup brand if U.S. President Donald Trump triggers a tariff war, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned this week, citing a past strategy of targeting American imports like ketchup for retaliatory tariffs.
“If and when Canada needs to respond with equivalent tariffs on imports from the United States, those would be paid by Canadian consumers,” Trudeau said.
“That’s why we will look, as we have in the past, at things that have replacements for Canadian consumers that wouldn’t be tariffed.”
Blacklock's Reporter said Trudeau pointed to the 2015 boycott of Heinz ketchup after the company shifted tomato sourcing away from Canada, leading consumers to embrace French’s ketchup, which used Canadian tomatoes.
“Having Canadian consumers have alternatives to having to spend tariffs on American inputs is part of how we make sure Canadians don’t bear undue costs around tariffs,” Trudeau said.
“At the same time, there will be costs for Canadians if we move forward on tariffs to the United States.”
In a 2015 dispute over U.S. meat labeling rules, the Conservative government proposed retaliatory tariffs of 100% on a variety of U.S. goods, including Washington State apples, frozen Florida orange juice, pork, cheese, and chocolate.
Trudeau said he supports a similar dollar-for-dollar tariff approach if necessary.
“It is something we absolutely are going to be looking at if that is how they move forward,” Trudeau said.
Canada previously imposed a 10% tariff on U.S. imports such as coffee, cucumbers, dishwashers, mineral water, and whiskey during a 2020 dispute over aluminum tariffs.
That move generated $105 million in net revenues for the federal government, some of which was used to compensate affected Canadian exporters.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne warned of broader consequences if a trade war develops. “There won’t be tariffs without impacts,” he said. “There cannot be tariffs without consequences.”
Champagne emphasized Canada’s strategic importance to the U.S. as a key trading partner. “Canada is a G7 country, just so people remember. We are a NATO country. We are your strategic partner of choice,” he said.
The U.S. remains Canada’s largest trading partner, accounting for 77% of its global exports, totaling $592.7 billion in 2023, according to Statistics Canada. Canada’s exports to the U.S. are nine times greater than its combined sales to Europe and China.