How to know what qualifies as made in Canada

We've all seen it somewhere, "made in Canada". Inside the door of a portable toilet, on a pair of winter boots - or a high-end jacket. But what qualifies as "made in Canada"? It's all too easy to put a maple leaf on your product despite it having come halfway around the world. While something may be designed in Canada by a Canadian company, that doesn't mean it's been made here.

Turns out the government of Canada has a pretty strict definition of what that means. This quick guide will help you determine exactly what made in Canada means.

The 51% rule

In order for a product to be labelled as "Made in Canada", it must meet certain guidelines set out by the Canadian government. Specifically, the product must contain at least 51% Canadian-made materials and must be assembled or processed in Canada. These requirements help to support manufacturing in Canada, helping to differentiate their products from overseas imports. Parts and materials can be sourced globally, but the final transformation and assembly need to take place in Canada.

It's no secret that many of the parts and materials used in Canadian-made goods can be sourced from all over the world. This decision can stem from two main factors: cost-effectiveness, and availability of those materials in Canada itself.

Where do the materials come from

It's often simply cheaper to take advantage of better economies of scale in other parts of the world - for example, a bootmaker may choose to source leather from India and soles from Italy but complete all the work here in Canada. All of this is simply because they can't find the materials they need at a price that works for them.

If a manufacturer sources all their materials within Canada they may be able to use the "product of Canada" designation which indicates 99% or more of their product originated here.

The final transformation and assembly needs to happen in Canada

In order for a product to be marketable as "made in Canada", it must go through a process of final transformation and assembly in Canada. So long as 51% of this transformation happens here the moniker can apply. So in the example of our bootmaker if they cut and assemble their boots here that qualifies as "made in Canada" even if most of the materials aren't from here.

Conclusion

So, what counts as made in Canada? To qualify as made in Canada, a product must be designed and manufactured in Canada, with at least 51% of the labour and production costs occurring here. The materials used to make the product do not need to come from Canada, but the final transformation and assembly needs to happen here.

Here at Provisioned.ca, we specialize in selling only top-quality Canadian-made housewares. We proudly offer a wide variety of Canadian-made products that will help equip your home with all the essentials. Shop with us today and rest assured knowing that you're supporting local businesses and manufacturers! Nowhere else can you find such a broad and carefully curated assortment of Canadian and North American products.

 

Photo by Andy Holmes on Unsplash