MADE IN CANADA - OR - PRODUCT OF CANADA
I don't know about you but I get confused so many times in stores because of labelling. Too many times have I picked up an item because it has a maple leaf on it and I assume it's there because the product is "MADE IN CANADA", only to be discouraged to find that wasn't the case. Sometimes I find the "MADE IN CANADA" marking on the box of a product, only to discover that it’s just the box that was "MADE IN CANADA".
According to the Competition Bureau of Canada the lowest conditions a product has to meet in order to be labelled MADE IN CANADA are these three:
- the last major transformation occurs in Canada
- 51% of the total direct costs of producing or manufacturing was done in Canada
- the "MADE IN CANADA" claim has to be paired with something along the lines of "MADE IN CANADA with imported parts, or more specific like - with 40% imported parts
The Bureau is ok with a "PRODUCT OF CANADA" claim as long as at least these two criteria are met:
- the last major transformation occurs in Canada
- at least 98% of the total direct costs of producing or manufacturing was done in Canada
For the most part I have noticed more food items with the label "PRODUCT OF CANADA"
These two labels alone do not encompass all Canadian Owned Companies. In Canada there are many Companies that assemble products using foreign parts or are sewn with imported fabric. Manufactured in Canada doesn't always qualify for "MADE IN CANADA" labelling. There are also many Canadian Owned Companies that design their products but have them manufactured elsewhere.
In these cases I have found that many Canadian companies are fast to let the consumer know that they source ethical and fair manufacturing. The better companies have close ties to their manufacturing facilities and visit them quite often. Their products are usually better quality than the average product manufactured outside of Canada.
Nonetheless when shopping for "Canadian Made" products you really have to be vigilant.
Made in Canada and Product of Canada