Loblaw reintroduces 'T' symbols for tariff-affected goods
Grocer also bringing back country-of-origin labels on produce after customer complaints.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Loblaw reintroduces 'T' symbols for tariff-affected goods
Photograph: City News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Loblaw Cos. Ltd. is reintroducing 'T' symbols on grocery shelf labels to identify products impacted by tariffs.
- The 'T' symbol was previously used by Loblaw when tariffs were first introduced.
- The grocer is also reintroducing country-of-origin labels in its fresh produce aisles.
- Loblaw had previously removed country-of-origin labelling on produce signs, which led to customer complaints.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 11 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
65/100
Hype
20/100
11 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
None of the 11 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. is reintroducing 'T' symbols on grocery shelf labels to indicate products affected by tariffs. The grocer will continue to use a maple leaf symbol for homegrown products. Loblaw is also reintroducing country-of-origin labels in its fresh produce aisles.
The 'T' symbol was previously used by Loblaw when tariffs were first introduced. The company had dropped country-of-origin labelling on produce signs in most provinces earlier this month, which led to customer backlash. Some shoppers expressed disappointment and frustration with the removal of this information.
Disagreement on previous fines
The Toronto Star and The Record digests state that the company was previously fined $10,000 for misleading Product of Canada labels. None of the other reports mention this specific fine.
What the coverage left out
None of the left or centre-rated reports mention the specific amount of products that will be affected by the 'T' symbols, or how many products will grow to include the symbol as tariffs are applied across more categories. The digests do not specify the number of products that will be affected.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 5 times, most recently on 26 Aug 2026, 17:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
8 rated outlets
- Six left-rated reports led on Loblaw bringing back 'T' symbols on tariff-affected items as trade tensions escalate. CBC News and Radio-Canada digests also detailed Loblaw's reversal on dropping country-of-origin produce labels following customer backlash. CBC News's full report included customer quotes and an economist's analysis of the situation. The Toronto Star and The Record digests noted that the company had previously been fined $10,000 for misleading 'Product of Canada' labels.
Centre
3 rated outlets
- Three centre-rated reports led on Loblaw bringing back 'T' symbols on tariff-affected items as trade tensions escalate. City News's full report included a statement from CEO Per Bank about the company's stronger position due to supply chain revamps and sourcing from domestic and non-U.S. suppliers. City News and The Winnipeg Free Press digests mentioned the reintroduction of country-of-origin labels for fresh produce.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Loblaw reintroduces 'T' symbols for tariff-affected goods?
- Of the 11 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 73% are rated left, 27% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Loblaw reintroduces 'T' symbols for tariff-affected goods left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 11 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Loblaw reintroduces 'T' symbols for tariff-affected goods biased?
- Loblaw reintroduces 'T' symbols for tariff-affected goods is one event reported by 11 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Loblaw reintroduces 'T' symbols for tariff-affected goods?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Loblaw reintroduces 'T' symbols for tariff-affected goods?
- 11 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Why is Loblaw reintroducing 'T' symbols?
- Loblaw is reintroducing 'T' symbols on grocery shelf labels to indicate products that are affected by tariffs. This measure is being taken as trade tensions between Canada and the United States escalate.
- What other labels is Loblaw reintroducing?
- Loblaw is also reintroducing country-of-origin labels in its fresh produce aisles. This comes after the grocer had previously dropped these labels, leading to customer backlash.
- Has Loblaw used these symbols before?
- Yes, Loblaw previously used the 'T' symbol to indicate to customers that a product's price had risen due to tariffs when trade tensions first flared up. The maple leaf symbol will continue to be used for homegrown products.
Read it at the source
11 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
8- Commercial War: Loblaw Reintroduces the Symbol "T" on the Goods Concerned by the Customs Duties (opens La Presse in a new tab)
- Loblaw bringing back T symbols on tariff-affected items as trade tensions escalate (opens Bowen Island Undercurrent in a new tab)
Bowen Island Undercurrent — is Bowen Island Undercurrent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Loblaw bringing back T symbols on tariff-affected items as trade tensions escalate (opens Rocky Mountain Outlook in a new tab)
Rocky Mountain Outlook — is Rocky Mountain Outlook biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Loblaw bringing back T symbols on tariff-affected items as trade tensions escalate (opens The Hamilton Spectator in a new tab)
The Hamilton Spectator — is The Hamilton Spectator biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Loblaw to return country-of-origin signs on produce, brings back ‘T’ tariff indicators, amid trade war (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Loblaw to return country-of-origin signs on produce, brings back ‘T’ tariff indicators, amid trade war (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Loblaw backtracks on dropping produce labels after customer backlash, new trade war (opens Radio-Canada in a new tab)
Radio-Canada — is Radio-Canada biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Loblaw backtracks on dropping country-of-origin produce labels after customer backlash (opens CBC News in a new tab)
Centre
3- Loblaw to bring back T symbols for products affected by U.S. tariffs (opens The Globe & Mail in a new tab)
The Globe & Mail — is The Globe & Mail biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Loblaw bringing back T symbols on tariff-affected items as trade tensions escalate (opens City News in a new tab)
- Loblaw bringing back T symbols on tariff-affected items as trade tensions escalate (opens Winnipeg Free Press in a new tab)
Winnipeg Free Press — is Winnipeg Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
More in Business & Economy
All Business & Economy →
Elsewhere on the site
Politics•2 min readNew Brunswick Premier Says Power to Maine Will Not Be Cut
Politics•3 min readTrump threatens 50% tariffs on Canadian vehicles, steel
Politics•3 min readKenney says Canada should use oil and gas in US tariff war
Politics•3 min readCarney: Canada will return to trade talks with US when attitude changes