Ice-cream maker applauded for Trump tariff approach: 'Canadian-first'
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An Ontario ice cream manufacturer is freezing its prices, a response to the U.S. trade war it says is the greatest threat to Canada’s sovereignty since the Second World War.
Chapman’s Ice Cream, the largest independent ice cream manufacturer in the country, is vowing not to increase prices for customers for the remainder of 2025 as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada threatens to drive up the cost of American-made ingredients.
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“As a family we have decided to absorb all immediate increases in our costs due to the Trump tariffs for the rest of the year to maintain our prices,” Chapman’s chief operating officer Ashley Chapman said in a statement on social media.
“We are actively looking internationally for alternative suppliers of ingredients that are unavailable within Canada. We will continue to reinforce Canadian-first policies within our operations because together we are stronger.”
Chapman’s has been in Markdale, a community of about 1,200 people southeast of Owen Sound, since 1973.
The family-owned business has a product line of more than 280 frozen treats, including ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet and popsicles.
The trade war marks an extreme low point for Canada-U.S. relations, as Trump frequently refers to Canada as a 51st state and accuses Canada of taking advantage of the U.S. economy.
Trump slapped a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian products last Tuesday, triggering a reciprocal response from Ottawa, only to halt the tariff on Thursday for Canadian exports that comply with the Canada-United-States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the free trade pact that replaced NAFTA.
The temporary suspension of the tariff will last until April 2, a delay Trump said will give manufacturers time to find American-made alternatives and bring production to the U.S.
U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel are set to take effect on Wednesday.
While U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods are a cost paid by American importers, any tariffs Ottawa makes on U.S. goods in response to Trump’s trade war will hit Canadian consumers and businesses.
The consumer price freeze is not the first time Chapman’s Ice Cream has stepped up to champion community causes.
Chapman’s was one of the leading forces in keeping Beavercrest public school in Markdale open when it was eyed for closure in 2016. Officials eventually changed course and announced funding for a new Beavercrest school in 2018.
Chapman’s last fall announced a $500,000 donation to go towards playgrounds, outdoor sports equipment, gym equipment and audio and video equipment at the new school.
Responding to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the company increased the wages of its employees by $2 per hour, a pay bump it made permanent later that year.
The ice cream company also bought two ultra-low temperature freezers to help public health officials store COVID-19 vaccines in the Grey and Bruce region in December 2020.
Its tariff response drew heaps of praise on social media.
“Once again, your standards and dedication are immeasurable,” one person wrote in response to the company’s announcement on Facebook.
Added another: “You are an amazing family company always supporting your employees and consumers.”
jbieman@postmedia.com
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