Retail Council of Canada (RCC) — Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP)
(TORONTO, ON) February 9, 2022 — The two largest associations representing Canada’s food, health and consumer goods manufacturers and retailers large and small from coast to coast, are sounding the alarm today, urging all stakeholders and officials at the local, provincial, and national levels to take immediate action to find a solution to the disruptions at the Ambassador Bridge, the U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta and Highway 402 that leads to Sarnia's Bluewater Bridge.
Food, health and consumer goods manufacturers and retailers in Canada are raising significant concerns considering ongoing supply chain challenges and pandemic related shortages that are already impacting the availability and cost of food, health and consumer products on retail shelves.
Many food and consumer products, as well as packaging and ingredients, are shipped by trucks across the U.S./Canada border. With product and ingredient inventories already low, border closures and delays could result in plant shutdowns, potential layoffs, reduced product availability and increased pricing of the products Canadians rely.
At a time when Canadians are particularly dependent on fruit and vegetables from the United States, delays will impact fruit and vegetable perishability, further compounding the issue of availability and price. Likewise, the availability of other retail products which Canadians need and want, such as home furnishings, appliances and electronics that are shipped by truck from the U.S., will also be jeopardized.
The continued disruptions at U.S./Canada border crossings will impact investments, jobs and Canadian families across Canada. For this reason, both RCC and FHCP are joining the broader Canadian business community in calling on all levels of government to work together to swiftly develop proactive solutions for each unique border crossing in Canada to prevent future disruptions.
Canada’s critical trade and transportation infrastructure is vital to the lives and livelihood of all Canadians and must be protected.
More Information:
RCC
Michelle Wasylyshen
mwasylyshen@retailcouncil.org
FHCP
Anthony Fuchs
anthony.fuchs@fhcp.ca
ABOUT OUR TWO ORGANIZATIONS
Retail is Canada’s largest private sector employer with over 2.1 million Canadians working in our industry. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members represent more than two-thirds of core retail sales in the country. As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, we proudly represent more than 45,000 storefronts in all retail formats, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers and online merchants.
Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) is the voice of Canada’s leading food, health and consumer product manufacturers. Our industry employs more people than any other manufacturing sector in Canada, across businesses of all sizes that manufacture and distribute the safe, high-quality products at the heart of healthy homes, healthy communities and a healthy Canada.
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