What Does a Trade War Mean for Our Business and Our Customers?
With trade tensions making headlines, many are wondering how this could affect businesses and consumers alike. While we can’t predict the future, we can share what we anticipate the impact might be.
At GoodFood2U, we’ve been committed to sourcing from local farms and businesses since 2006. Supporting Canadian products has always been a priority for us, and most of what’s on our shelves comes from local or Canadian suppliers.
However, as a produce-first business that operates year-round, we face a unique challenge. While it would be great for the environment if we all ate local produce year-round, we’ve all grown accustomed to enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables regardless of the season.
When thinking about how potential tariffs might affect us, there are three main sources of produce we rely on:
1. Local and Regional Produce
We’re proud to offer local produce year-round. From May to October, we’re spoiled for choice with a wide variety of local options. From November to April, our selection becomes more limited, but we still carry some great local produce that stores well. Currently, we have in stock:
- Locally grown leaf lettuce
- Locally grown microgreens and sprouts
- Quebec red and green cabbage
- Ontario mushrooms (multiple varieties)
- Greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers
- Quebec apples
- Quebec carrots, beets, potatoes, onions, and garlic
- Quebec parsnips, daikon radish, watermelon radish, and rutabaga
While some of your favourites might not be on this list, there’s still a fantastic variety of healthy, local options to choose from.
2. Imported Produce (Non-USA)
Some produce simply can’t be grown locally — think bananas, avocados and kiwis. We source many of these items from countries like Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Italy. These imports won’t be affected by trade wars with the USA, so you can continue to count on finding these items on our shelves.
3. Imported Produce (USA)
Like many Canadian produce companies, we import fruits and vegetables from the United States when local options aren’t available. Unfortunately, due to potential tariffs, we will now face a 25% additional cost on these products. This could lead to a significant price increase, and we’re wondering whether it makes sense to continue offering these items. Will you still buy them at the higher price? We’d love to hear your thoughts — should we continue carrying them, and if so, at what cost?
At GoodFood2U, we’ve always placed a strong emphasis on local and Canadian food, making it easy for you to shop locally. You can set up recurring orders for local produce, eggs, grains, and more, and we’ll make sure it’s convenient for you.
In these uncertain times, we remain committed to offering you fresh, local, and high-quality produce while navigating the challenges posed by a changing trade landscape. Let us know how we can best support you!
