Made in Canada or Product of Canada: what your brand is allowed to say
The direct answer
For non food goods, the Competition Bureau's guidelines say a Product of Canada claim needs the last substantial transformation to happen in Canada and at least 98% of total direct costs to be Canadian, while a Made in Canada claim needs the last substantial transformation in Canada, at least 51% Canadian direct costs and a qualifying statement such as Made in Canada with imported parts. Pictures such as a flag or maple leaf can carry the same weight as the words. For food, CFIA's rules differ: Product of Canada means all or virtually all ingredients, processing and labour are Canadian, with foreign content under 2%, and every variation of Made in Canada, including Proudly Made in Canada, needs a qualifying statement when ingredients are imported. CFIA rejects the wording domestic and/or imported ingredients. Goods that meet neither test can use a precise claim such as Assembled in Canada with foreign parts.
Five conclusions
The argument, compressed.
- Goods, Product of Canada: last substantial transformation in Canada and at least 98% Canadian direct costs.
- Goods, Made in Canada: last substantial transformation in Canada, at least 51% Canadian direct costs, plus a qualifying statement.
- A flag or maple leaf can make the same claim as the words, so the design is held to the same test.
- Food, Product of Canada: virtually everything Canadian, with foreign content under 2%; every Made in Canada variation needs a qualifier when ingredients are imported.
- When neither claim fits, say exactly what happened in Canada: assembled, sewn, roasted, designed.
Working framework · 5 decisions
The origin claim check
Five questions to answer before a Canadian origin claim, word or symbol, goes on a label, website or ad. Neither the Bureau nor CFIA approves claims in advance, so the evidence file is yours to keep.
Decision 01 / 05
Category
Is it food or a non food good? CFIA rules govern food labels; the Competition Bureau guidelines govern other goods.
Why the origin claim is now a brand decision
For many Canadian shoppers, where a product comes from has become a reason to choose it. That turns an origin claim from a compliance footnote into one of the most visible brand assets on a label, and it is the asset most likely to be challenged by a competitor or a customer.
The rules sit with two federal bodies. The Competition Bureau's enforcement guidelines, updated in March 2025, cover non food goods. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency covers food labels. Their thresholds differ, and a brand selling both food and goods needs to work through each set separately.
Non food goods: the Competition Bureau tests
Product of Canada is the stronger claim. It needs the last substantial transformation of the goods to happen in Canada and at least 98% of the total direct costs of producing or manufacturing them to be incurred in Canada.
Made in Canada needs the last substantial transformation in Canada and at least 51% of direct costs incurred in Canada, and it should carry a qualifying statement such as Made in Canada with imported parts, or Made in Canada with domestic and imported parts. The Bureau treats words like produced or manufactured in Canada as Made in Canada claims.
Design counts. The guidelines say pictures, logos and symbols such as the Canadian flag or a maple leaf can be just as forceful as a written claim, depending on the context. A maple leaf in a logo is an origin claim the moment it suggests the product itself is Canadian.
The maple leaf test
If the symbol makes a shopper believe the product is Canadian, it has to meet the same threshold as the words.
Food: the CFIA rules
For food, Product of Canada means all or virtually all major ingredients, processing and labour are Canadian, with any minor foreign content generally under 2% of the product. CFIA treats a claim that a food is Canadian in the same way, and 100% Canadian means exactly that.
Made in Canada on food needs the last substantial transformation in Canada, and every variation of the claim needs a qualifying statement when the food contains imported ingredients. CFIA uses Proudly Made in Canada as its example of a variation that still needs the qualifier, and it rejects the wording Made in Canada from domestic and/or imported ingredients because it tells the shopper nothing about Canadian content.
Origin claims that work for a brand
When a product meets neither threshold, the Bureau encourages precise, qualified claims that describe what happened in Canada, such as Assembled in Canada with foreign parts or Sewn in Canada with imported fabric. For a brand, precision is often more persuasive than the generic claim anyway: Designed in Toronto, roasted in Halifax, or knit in Quebec from New Zealand merino all tell a specific story.
Treat origin as part of the brand system. Decide the exact claim, write the qualifier once, and use the same wording on the pack, the website, the ads and the trade show booth, with the evidence for it on file. The brand that says precisely what is Canadian about it earns more trust than the one wrapped in maple leaves it cannot fully support.
- Choose one origin claim and write its qualifying statement once.
- Audit every maple leaf and flag in the identity against the claim it makes.
- Use process words that are true: designed, assembled, roasted, sewn.
- Keep the cost or ingredient calculation on file.
Before you use it
Questions that can change the recommendation.
What is the difference between Made in Canada and Product of Canada?
For non food goods, Product of Canada needs the last substantial transformation in Canada and at least 98% Canadian direct costs. Made in Canada needs the last substantial transformation in Canada, at least 51% Canadian direct costs and a qualifying statement such as Made in Canada with imported parts.
Can I put a maple leaf on my packaging?
The Competition Bureau's guidelines say symbols such as the flag or a maple leaf can be just as forceful as a written Made in Canada claim, depending on context. If the symbol suggests the product is Canadian, it needs to meet the same test.
Does Proudly Made in Canada need a qualifying statement on food?
CFIA says all variations of Made in Canada claims need a qualifying statement when the food contains imported ingredients, and uses Proudly Made in Canada as its example.
Does the government approve Made in Canada claims?
The Competition Bureau states that it neither approves nor certifies these claims. Businesses are responsible for making sure their claims meet the guidelines and for keeping the evidence.
What can I say if my product falls short of both thresholds?
Use a precise qualified claim that describes what happened in Canada, such as Assembled in Canada with foreign parts or Sewn in Canada with imported fabric.
Research record
What this guide draws from.
Each source note describes what the reference supports. Platform guidance, research findings and Branding Tatva's practical suggestions have different scopes.
- Product of Canada and Made in Canada claims
Competition Bureau Canada
Enforcement guidelines for non food goods, March 2025.
- Made in Canada claims
Competition Bureau Canada
- Origin claims on food labels
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
