What to know
- Chapman’s is changing suppliers as the Canada-U.S. trade war continues, replacing American ingredients with Canadian and other non-U.S. alternatives.
- The Ontario-based ice cream maker expects to replace more than 70 per cent of its American ingredients by mid-2027.
- Chapman’s is also working with Canadian companies to produce ingredients domestically that haven’t traditionally been made in Canada.
- Despite potentially higher costs, the company says it won’t raise prices until at least March 2028.
- Chapman’s says 100 per cent of the dairy used in its products remains Canadian.
- The supplier switch began after the first round of U.S. tariffs in March 2025 and has accelerated as trade tensions continue.
As the Canada-U.S. trade war continues, Canada’s own Chapman’s Ice Cream is making a major shift in its supply chain to move away from supporting American companies.
The ice cream maker, founded in Markdale, Ontario, back in 1973, has revealed that it is shifting where it sources its ingredients, replacing more than 70 percent of its American ingredients with Canadian or non-U.S. alternatives by mid-2027. The company has also partnered with Canadian businesses to bring production of some ingredients to Canada for the first time.
Chapman’s says the move builds on work that began in March 2025, when the first round of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump prompted the company to start looking for alternatives to its American suppliers. At the time, Chapman’s said it would absorb immediate tariff-related cost increases rather than pass them on to consumers, while searching internationally for ingredients that weren’t available from Canadian suppliers.
“We are on track to convert over 70% of our American ingredients by mid-2027,” CEO Ashley Chapman posted to social media on Wednesday.
The company shares that in addition to keeping the price of its products the same, it has also partnered with Canadian companies to start local production of some items that have never been produced in Canada.
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The post also showed direct support for local governments in the midst of the ongoing trade war.
“We stand with the Canadian government, and all provinces, in our outright rejection of these unjustified tariffs,” the post reads. “Walking away from a ‘deal’ that would sacrifice our economic sovereignty and harm the unique cultural identity of Quebec was the only option.”
The post also shared the company’s promise not to raise prices of its products for the foreseeable future.
“As the trade war escalates, we are making the commitment to our customers that we will not have a price increase from now until March 2028. We will continue to support our employees with a living wage and provide our customers with the best product for the best price, using only 100% Canadian dairy.”
The move comes as the Canada-U.S. trade war continues to put pressure on businesses and consumers on both sides of the border, with tariffs and the threat of further measures forcing companies to rethink long-standing supply chains and consumers to consider where they spend their dollars.
“There is always Chapman’s in our household. It is the superior product,” one person commented on the company’s social media announcement.
“This kind of commitment to Canada (and locally) is why we only buy Chapman’s ice cream products (and lots of them),” another Instagram user shared.
“This is one of many reasons why we buy and support Chapman’s. Thank you!”
