What it takes to live an America-free lifestyle in Canada. Spoiler: It's not easy.

Since the start of the US-Canada trade war in February 2025, some Canadian stores have labeled Canadian products more clearly for consumers.

Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images The US-Canada trade war is getting uglier, with innocent lakes being brought into the conflict.

Canadians are fighting back in the politest, most Canadian way ever: By shopping more locally.

While they've discovered some great swaps, fully quitting America is harder than it looks.

As the US-Canadian trade war expands, some Canadians are purposefully shrinking their shopping options by staying local.

It isn't easy.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods went into effect, prompting "dollar-for-dollar" retaliatory tariffs from Canada — the latest escalation since the trade war officially began in March 2025, affecting industries ranging from manufacturing to alcohol.

To push back, some Canadian businesses started displaying "Made in Canada" labels in their stores last spring, prompting shoppers to consider swapping their US grocery hauls for more locally sourced fare.

Canadian businesses have been promoting locally made products since the trade war began.

Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images Sarah Chudleigh, a 28-year-old content marketer in Montreal, distinctly remembers a shift around that time when she and her friends started prioritizing Canadian goods .

"It felt like there was one big full swing last year, maybe just before the summer, when it became more of a collective notion," she told Business Insider.

While she's made some great Canadian discoveries, like Ungava Gin and Romeo's Gin from Quebec, "there isn't always a direct swap for the American goods we're used to buying," she said.

In some cases, she still prefers to buy some American produce like oranges, which are sourced closer to Canada, and she feels tend to be higher quality than those shipped from overseas.

From analyzing "made in" labels to paying more for product swaps, Canadians say shopping locally doesn't come without a price.