Key takeaways
Under the Competition Bureau’s guidelines for non-food products, “Product of Canada” requires the last substantial transformation to happen in Canada and at least 98% of the total direct costs to be incurred here. “Made in Canada” requires the last substantial transformation in Canada, at least 51% of total direct costs and a qualifying statement such as “Made in Canada with imported parts.” A maple leaf or flag can count as a claim on its own. Record origin per product in Shopify and show only what the evidence supports.
- “Product of Canada” needs the last substantial transformation in Canada and at least 98% of total direct costs incurred here.
- “Made in Canada” needs the last substantial transformation in Canada, at least 51% of total direct costs and a qualifying statement.
- A maple leaf or flag can be as forceful as a written claim, so origin badges follow the same rules.
- Food follows separate CFIA guidance, and since June 20, 2025 private parties can take deceptive-marketing cases to the Competition Tribunal.
- Buy-Canadian intent is real but price-sensitive: make origin visible and accurate rather than relying on it to carry a premium.
Why origin claims matter more now
Origin has become part of how many Canadians shop. In an Abacus Data survey of 2,366 Canadian adults, conducted from June 25 to July 2, 2026, 53% said they go out of their way to choose a Canadian product over a non-Canadian one often or almost always.
The same survey shows the limit. When the Canadian option costs noticeably more, only 19% said they buy Canadian anyway; 43% buy Canadian selectively and choose the cheaper option for other items, and 34% simply buy whichever is cheaper. Origin works best as a clear, trustworthy reason to choose between comparable products, not as a licence to charge a premium.
The risk has grown alongside the opportunity. Since June 20, 2025, amendments to the Competition Act allow private parties, not only the Competition Bureau, to bring deceptive-marketing applications to the Competition Tribunal. An origin badge added for a campaign can outlive the evidence behind it.
The two tests, side by side
The Competition Bureau’s guidelines for non-food products define two claims. Both require that the last substantial transformation of the product happened in Canada; they differ in how much of the cost must be Canadian and whether a qualifier is needed.
| Claim | Last substantial transformation | Total direct costs incurred in Canada | Qualifying statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product of Canada | In Canada | All or virtually all: at least 98% | Not required |
| Made in Canada | In Canada | At least 51% | Required, for example “Made in Canada with imported parts” |
The Bureau does not approve or certify origin claims. The business making the claim is responsible for the evidence behind it.
Symbols are claims too
The guidelines say that pictorial representations, such as logos, pictures or symbols like the Canadian flag or maple leaf, may by themselves be just as forceful as a written “Made in Canada” claim. A red maple leaf on a product card can therefore make the claim even if the copy never does.
Where a qualifier is needed, the guidelines expect it to be prominent enough that shoppers notice it. On a Shopify store, that means the qualifying statement sits next to the badge or claim, not in a footnote, a tooltip or the fifth tab of a product page.
Audit every place origin imagery appears: product card badges, collection banners, homepage heroes, navigation labels, email templates, ads and the product images themselves. Each one is a claim about the products it appears beside.
Other “Canadian” phrases
Phrases such as “Canadian-owned”, “Canadian company” or “Designed in Canada” are not the two defined claims. They are judged under the general rules against false or misleading representations, which look at the overall impression a claim creates.
Each can be true and useful: a Toronto business that designs products here and has them manufactured elsewhere can say so. The problem arises when the combination misleads — “Canadian-owned” beside a maple leaf on an imported product can suggest Canadian manufacture that did not happen. Say precisely what is Canadian about the product or the business.
Food follows different rules
The Competition Bureau’s origin guidelines apply to non-food products. Food follows the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s guidance, under which “Product of Canada” means all or virtually all major ingredients, processing and labour used to make the food are Canadian, and “Made in Canada” needs the last substantial transformation in Canada and a qualifying statement about imported ingredients.
A store that sells both food and other products needs both standards in its catalogue rules. Don’t let a single site-wide badge apply to both.
Build origin into your Shopify catalogue
Treat origin as structured product data rather than copy. Create a product metafield for the origin claim with a fixed list of values, such as Product of Canada, Made in Canada with imported parts, Made in Canada with domestic and imported parts, Designed in Canada and none. Add fields for the internal evidence reference and the date it was last reviewed.
Have the theme render badges and origin lines from that metafield, so nobody types a claim by hand on one product and forgets to remove it from another. The same field can power a filter in the Shopify Search & Discovery app and the conditions of an automated “Made in Canada” collection.
Keep it separate from the country or region of origin field in Shopify’s shipping settings. That field supports customs and duty calculations; your marketing claim follows the Competition Bureau’s tests, and customs origin under CUSMA follows its own rules of origin. A product can be of Canadian origin for customs and still not qualify as “Product of Canada” on the shelf, or the other way round.
Keep the evidence behind every badge
For each product or range that carries a claim, keep a short file: where the last substantial transformation happens, a breakdown of total direct costs with their sources, supplier declarations and the date of the review. Assign an owner.
Re-check when something changes upstream. A new supplier, a component sourced abroad or a cost shift during a tariff dispute can move a product across the 51% or 98% line without anyone touching the product page.
Make new products default to no claim. A badge should be added when the evidence is filed, never inherited from a template or a bulk import.
Write the claim so shoppers understand it
Put origin in a consistent place on every product page, such as a specifications row, and write it in plain words: where it was made, and what was imported if a qualifier applies. Shoppers comparing products benefit from the same information in the same position each time.
Use the same wording in product descriptions, feeds and marketplace listings, including French versions for customers in Quebec. A claim that is carefully qualified on the product page and unqualified in a shopping ad is still an unqualified claim to the person who sees the ad.
An origin audit for your store
- List every product, collection and page that shows a maple leaf, flag or Canadian claim.
- For each claimed product, confirm where the last substantial transformation happens and the share of total direct costs incurred in Canada.
- Add a qualifying statement wherever “Made in Canada” is used, placed next to the claim.
- Replace hand-typed badges with a metafield-driven badge and a default of no claim.
- Separate food products and apply the CFIA standard to them.
- Check ads, feeds, emails and marketplace listings for the same wording.
- Set a review date and an owner for each range.
Frequently asked questions
How Canadian does a product need to be to say “Made in Canada”?
Under the Competition Bureau’s guidelines for non-food products, the last substantial transformation must happen in Canada, at least 51% of the total direct costs of producing or manufacturing it must be incurred in Canada, and the claim needs a qualifying statement such as “Made in Canada with imported parts.” “Product of Canada” requires at least 98%.
Can I use a maple leaf on products made outside Canada?
The guidelines say symbols such as the maple leaf or the Canadian flag can be as forceful as a written “Made in Canada” claim. Don’t use them in a way that suggests the product was made in Canada unless it meets the test. If the Canadian element is the business or the design, say that precisely.
Does the Competition Bureau certify Made in Canada products?
No. The Bureau says it does not approve or certify origin claims. The business making a claim is responsible for having evidence that it meets the guidelines.
Do these rules apply to food?
No. The Competition Bureau’s origin guidelines apply to non-food products. Food follows the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s origin-claim guidance, which has its own criteria for “Product of Canada” and “Made in Canada”.
Sources and further reading
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