A year of leadership, impact, and real-world results

In a year defined by economic uncertainty, global trade tensions, and unprecedented pressure on affordability, FHCP remained a clear, solutions-focused voice for Canada’s food, health, and consumer products sector. Our advocacy continued to deliver meaningful results — grounded in industry expertise, strengthened by member engagement, and increasingly reflected in federal decision-making.

What distinguished 2025 was not a new direction. It was a stronger alignment between our sector’s priorities and the national agenda. Whether advancing a smarter approach to tariffs, unpacking the complexities of the “Buy Canadian” movement, driving affordability to the top of the federal election agenda, or helping catalyze long-overdue regulatory reform, our work consistently delivered clarity, credibility, and practical solutions rooted in industry expertise.

At the same time, we reinforced member value by taking conversations out of boardrooms and into real-world settings, and by creating more hands-on learning, more in-person connections, and more opportunities to see policy in practice.

The stories below reflect a year of progress — for our sector, for policymakers, and for the Canadians who rely on the products our members make every day.

5. Sustainability leadership: From policy tables to plant floors

FHCP strengthened its position as a sustainability leader by pairing hands-on learning with practical policy guidance that helped members navigate Canada’s evolving circular-economy landscape.

In 2025, FHCP expanded its role as a sustainability leader by connecting policy development with on-the-ground experience. Through member tours of material recovery facilities and plastics recycling plants, we created opportunities for companies to see how packaging is sorted, processed, and marketed. These tours also showed how packaging design decisions directly affect real recycling outcomes.

These experiences were reinforced by a year of active engagement from our sustainability team. Collectively, they presented an EPR 101 member-exclusive session, facilitated workshops, contributed to national roundtables, delivered keynotes, participated in solution-oriented panels, and worked closely with partners to translate complex circular-economy policy into practical guidance.

Alongside this hands-on work, we continued to offer clear, evidence-based thought leadership — from our statement on packaging, plastics, and consumer affordability to CEO Michael Graydon’s op-ed on smarter regulation, to our contributions on Blue Box reforms and national EPR implementation. Together, these efforts supported members with strategic insight. They also offered practical, on-the-ground understanding of how Canada’s sustainability framework continues to evolve.

What’s next? We will continue connecting policy with practical experience, expanding member access to real-world sustainability insights and implementation guidance.

4. Trade & tariffs: Protecting the flow of essential goods amid trade turbulence

FHCP played a stabilizing role during unprecedented trade turbulence, helping secure meaningful tariff relief while protecting the uninterrupted flow of essential goods across the Canada–U.S. border.

When sweeping U.S. tariffs triggered Canadian countermeasures, FHCP moved quickly to clarify the risks facing deeply integrated supply chains. Through the launch of our Canada–U.S. Trade Relations Hub, we outlined the stakes for manufacturers, workers, and consumers, reinforcing that long-term prosperity depends on predictable, rules-based trade.

Our participation in the Canada U.S. Trade Council ensured our sector’s perspective informed high-level discussions on tariffs and CUSMA. It also allowed us to support broader conversations on North American competitiveness. In parallel, our advocacy with Finance Canada helped support tariff remission processes and domestic supply consultations, and continued through the April 17 U.S. surtax remission order and the federal government’s decision to remove retaliatory tariffs on more than 1,500 items as of September 1.

Throughout the year, FHCP provided steady, accessible public leadership — including commentary explaining why counter-tariffs were missing the mark and analysis highlighting the hidden costs created by tariff layering across cross-border supply chains. Members were also supported with practical tools, including the Tariff Support Tracker. We also issued more than 20 timely trade updates synthesizing legal, policy, and market insights.

This combined public and behind-the-scenes work helped stabilize supply routes, reduce cost pressures, and reinforce FHCP’s role as a trusted voice advancing open, predictable Canada–U.S. trade.

What’s next? We’ll remain deeply engaged in tariff, trade, and CUSMA discussions to ensure long-term stability for cross-border supply chains.

3. Reframing “Buy Canadian”: Bringing clarity to a complicated conversation

FHCP brought clarity and facts to a highly emotional national conversation, helping Canadians understand how real supply chains work and how global investment strengthens domestic jobs.

As patriotic shopping campaigns surged, driven by tariffs and economic anxiety, FHCP became a leading voice in helping Canadians understand what “Buy Canadian” actually means. Our Position on Buy Canadian, national media interviews, and broadcast commentary explained that supporting domestic manufacturing is important. But simplistic lists and viral hashtags overlook today’s highly integrated North American supply chains.

We focused on giving Canadians fact-based tools. This included national coverage that clarified the difference between “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada,” commentary urging consumers to avoid unverified online lists, and media interviews unpacking the unintended consequences of #BuyCanadian. We reinforced that Canada cannot simply replace all foreign inputs overnight. Nor would such isolation benefit affordability, resilience, or competitiveness.

We also highlighted how multinational manufacturers strengthen Canada’s economy through investment, innovation, job creation, and local sourcing. The message resonated: supporting Canadian workers means supporting the companies — domestic and global — that employ them and invest in Canadian communities.

This work helped reframe the national dialogue: real support for Canadian manufacturing requires accurate information, recognition of cross-border supply chains, and encouragement of the domestic and international investment that keeps high-quality, affordable essentials on Canadian shelves.

What’s next? We’ll continue helping Canadians navigate country-of-origin claims as demand for transparency increases and trade dynamics evolve.

Check back soon — our next story will be live in the coming days.