Kraft Heinz ‘deeply’ disappointed with Trudeau’s comments about its Canadian-made ketchup

Kraft Heinz has expressed deep disappointment over Justin Trudeau’s comments about Canadian-made ketchup.

Following a meeting this week between the Canadian prime minister and provincial premiers, Trudeau announced that his government would impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-made products in response to any tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump imposes on Canadian goods. He stressed that the tariffs would be on products for which Canadian consumers have domestic alternatives.

“The reason for this is that we are looking for products that have alternatives for Canadian consumers that are not subject to tariffs. An example of this in the past was when Heinz ketchup was replaced by French’s ketchup because French’s was still using Canadian tomatoes to make its ketchup,” Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday.

The comments prompted Kraft Heinz to respond, issuing a statement saying the claims were misleading.

“With the exception of a five-year period, Heinz Ketchup has been produced in Canada for over a century,” the company said.

The Heinz Ketchup manufacturing plant moved from Leamington, Ontario, to the United States in 2015, but returned to Montreal five years later in 2020.

“We were steadfast in our decision to bring Heinz Ketchup back to Canada in 2020 and are proud that Heinz Ketchup is made in Canada, by Canadians, using Canadian tomatoes,” Kraft Heinz Canada said in a statement.

The company added that it employs more than 1,000 people at its Mont-Royal, Quebec, plant and uses tomatoes grown in Ontario to make its ketchup. Kraft Heinz Canada is not only one of the largest food producers in Canada, but also the largest buyer of tomatoes in Ontario.

Early in his presidency, Trump announced that his administration could impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports starting next week, Feb. 1.

“We’re looking at a 25 percent tariff on Mexico and Canada because they’re letting in a lot of people. Canada is also very abusive and importing a lot of fentanyl,” Trump said Monday night after signing several executive orders at the White House.

The threat of sweeping tariffs has prompted several meetings with Canadian political leaders. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has also cited it as a key reason for calling a snap provincial election next week.

“We need the mandate of the people to fight Donald Trump’s tariffs. He’s taken action against our families, our businesses, our communities,” Ford said.

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