Buy Canadian vs. Avoid American: Two Movements, One Goal
May 24, 2025
In recent months, we’ve seen a shift in how Canadians think about their purchasing power. Some are doubling down on the Buy Canadian movement—supporting local jobs, businesses, and communities. Others are leaning into a more assertive stance: the Avoid American approach, a form of economic resistance aimed at pushing back against a U.S. administration that, let’s be honest, hasn’t exactly been treating Canada like a friend.
Both movements share an underlying motivation: a desire to protect Canadian sovereignty and economic strength. But they’re not quite the same—and at times, they can even point in slightly different directions.
What Buy Canadian Is About
The heart and soul of The CANADA List has always been the Buy Canadian movement. That’s what our CANADA Score is built to support: a clear, easy-to-understand number that reflects how much a product actually contributes to the Canadian economy.
This includes ownership, of course—but also manufacturing, employment, supply chains, and even charitable contributions made here in Canada. We strongly prioritize Canadian-owned companies (you can’t score higher than a 7 without being Canadian-owned), but we also believe that foreign companies that put down real roots in this country should be recognized. If they create jobs, pay taxes, and support communities here, that matters—and it deserves credit.
What Avoid American Is About
The Avoid American mindset is slightly different—more political, more reactive—and understandably so. When American leaders impose tariffs on Canadian goods, block our exports, and even make not-so-veiled threats about annexation, it's natural—no, honourable—for people to want to push back. Avoiding American products is one way to send a message: Canada is not for sale.
That message matters. In fact, it may ultimately carry more symbolic power on the global stage than simply shopping local. But it also comes with some practical trade-offs.
Where the Lines Blur
The reality is that many American companies operate right here in Canada, often with significant manufacturing footprints and thousands of Canadian employees. Boycotting those companies outright can, unintentionally, hurt the Canadian workers and communities tied to their operations. For example, automakers like Ford, GM, and Stellantis operate major plants in Ontario. If their Canadian sales drop sharply, they may deprioritize upgrades—or even downsize.
It’s also worth noting that because our supply chains are deeply intertwined with the U.S., some American companies may contribute more to Canada’s economy than others from overseas. Amazon, for example, has a large warehouse and distribution footprint here. That doesn’t make it a model company—but it does mean the economic math isn’t always black and white.
How The CANADA List Supports Both Options
At its core, The CANADA List was designed to help Canadians support the domestic economy. That’s why our primary tool—the CANADA Score—focuses on measuring how much economic value a product brings back into Canada. If your goal is to prioritize companies that reinvest here, this is your guide.
But we also understand that for many Canadians, this moment calls for something stronger—a line in the sand. That’s why we’ve also built filters that allow users to exclude American-owned companies entirely. Want to support only non-U.S. products? Just click the “All but USA” filter and instantly remove those options from your list.
We think this offers the best of both worlds: a score that helps consumers identify who gives back—and a tool that lets them define their own boundaries.
A Tool, Not a Rulebook
At the end of the day, The CANADA List is just that: a list. A tool. It’s not here to tell Canadians what to buy, how to shop, or what to believe. It exists for one reason only: to give Canadians the information and tools they need to follow their own values—whatever those may be.
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