International demand for Canadian maple syrup surges amid U.S. trade war

Colin North · CBC News

· Posted: Sep 11, 2026 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

A quintessential Canadian product is finding its way to more store shelves and breakfast tables around the world.

Canadian maple syrup exports are trending upward, generating $844.2 million in 2025, up 17.2 per cent over the previous year according to Statistics Canada.

Hutchinson Acres in Aylesford, N.S., is the province’s largest producer of maple syrup. It’s been seeing more frequent orders from its international customers, as well as an uptick in domestic sales.

“Normally we wouldn’t be shipping many containers out this time of year. We’ve got three containers we’re trying to get out in the next month and a half,” said co-owner Chris Hutchinson.

“And it’s all going overseas.”

Hutchinson said they generally see increased sales whenever Canada-U.S. trade talks are in the headlines.

He said Canadians want to support local businesses and international tourists want the classic Canadian product.

Chris Hutchinson is the co-owner of Hutchinson Acres. He says he's seeing more international orders than usual for this time of year. (Colin North/CBC)

He also said that their international buyers, such as the Netherlands, Costa Rica and Saudi Arabia, are using maple syrup as an alternative to processed sugars.

“People are being more concerned about what they put in their bodies,” said Hutchinson. “A big thing in Saudi Arabia is their coffee: now they want to put maple syrup in as a sweetener.”

Hutchinson's is the primary international maple syrup partner in Nova Scotia, which accounted for 0.2 per cent of all maple syrup produced in Canada in 2025. Quebec remains the major producer in the country at 90 per cent for the same year.

Rob Ward is the co-founder of Pure Maple, a distributor of maple syrup in the United Kingdom. He said he’s seen a steady increase in purchases in recent years, but no significant upturn in the wake of Canada-U.S. trade disputes.

He said he views the relationship between Canada and the U.K. as cousins.

Anna Hutchinson says maple sugar is the process of heating and mixing maple syrup in a precise manner to reduce it to sugar form. The intensive process is one of the reasons for its higher cost. (Colin North/CBC)

“Consumers have taken on maple syrup in a good way,” said Ward. “If I were to sum it up, there’s a fondness towards Canada and a real appetite towards Canadian maple syrup.”

Like other international partners, Ward said consumers in the U.K. use maple syrup as a sweetener and alternative to more refined sugars.

When it comes to choosing a maple syrup producer, Canada and the United States are the two main choices: Canada produces 75 per cent of the world’s maple syrup, while the U.S. accounts for roughly 25 per cent. For some distributors, country of origin is becoming a sticking point.

Philippe Coley, the founder of Maple Store, which distributes Canadian maple syrup throughout Europe, said he’s seeing an increase in demand for Canadian maple products.

Maple syrup is as Canadian as it gets, say the Hutchinsons. (Colin North/CBC)

He said when Canada-U.S. trade talks are in the headlines, the question of where the maple syrup comes from always comes up with his customers.

“Origin has become something our customers actively look for,” he said. “People are not just buying maple syrup anymore, they are buying Canadian maple syrup, and they tell us that is why."

Coley said they continue to stock maple syrup from Vermont, saying their European customers view the state in a different light than other parts of the U.S. due to its association with Sen. Bernie Sanders, a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump.

Back at Hutchinson Acres, they are preparing their order to ship to the Netherlands. While they have sent maple syrup to that region before, this order will be the first time they send maple sugar.

Chris Hutchinson said it’s too early to tell how long the surge in sales will last, but it’s clear there is support for the product.

“Maple syrup is just about as Canadian as you can get,” said Hutchinson. “And right now, Canadians want to stand behind that brand.”

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