Kraft Heinz Canada is defending its Canadian-made ketchup after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used the condiment as an example in trade talks.
On January 21, Trudeau, along with members of his cabinet, spoke with reporters in Quebec to address US President Donald Trump’s renewed tariff threat against Canada.
“As Donald Trump was officially inaugurated yesterday as president of the United States, my cabinet and I have gathered here with a singular focus: upholding our long-standing friendship with the United States and protecting Canada against potential tariffs,” said Trudeau.
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Trudeau said that if the US imposes these tariffs, Canadians would have to find replacements for products “that wouldn’t be tariffed.”
“The example from last time was Heinz’s ketchup being replaced by French’s ketchup because French was still using Canadian tomatoes in its ketchup,” he said.
“Having Canadian consumers have alternatives to having to spend tariffs on American imports is part of how we make sure that Canadians don’t bear undue costs around tariffs. At the same time, there will be costs for Canadians if we move forward on tariffs.”
Kraft Heinz Canada did not take kindly to Trudeau’s remarks.
In a statement, the company said that except for the five years from 2015 to 2020, its ketchup has been made with Canadian tomatoes and has been made in Canada for over 100 years.
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The company stated it employs over 1,000 Canadians at its Mont-Royal Quebec facility and uses tomatoes grown in Leamington, Ontario.
“Kraft Heinz Canada is deeply disappointed that Prime Minister Trudeau has made misleading statements that Heinz Ketchup is not made in Canada and that it may be a potential target for counter-vailing tariffs,” reads the statement.
CNN reported that during a signing ceremony on January 20, Trump said his administration would impose 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada starting February 1. In 2024, the US imported US$418 billion worth of goods from Canada.
“Of America’s top five trading partners, Canada is the only one with whom the United States runs a trade surplus in manufacturing,” said Trudeau. “And Canada buys more goods made by Americans than China, Japan, Germany combined.”