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If you’ve been scanning grocery store shelves for your favourite Bick’s pickles and coming up empty, you’re not alone.
The beloved pickle brand, known for its tangy crunch and Canadian heritage, has become the latest casualty in the ongoing trade dispute between Canada and the United States. Several major retailers, including some Safeway stores in Edmonton, have stopped stocking Bick’s due to increased costs caused by tariffs.
Tariffs Take a Bite Out of Pickle Supply
The trouble began after the U.S. imposed tariffs on Canadian goods earlier this year. In response, Canada hit back with a 25% counter-tariff on cucumbers and gherkins—key ingredients for pickles.
Steven Oakland, CEO of TreeHouse Foods Inc., which owns Bick’s, explained that the extra cost has made it difficult for some retailers to justify carrying the brand. “The food business is a low-margin, high-volume business,” Oakland said, adding that retailers started raising concerns when the trade war began.
Currently, Bick’s remains available in roughly 70% of Canadian stores, but sales have dropped by about 25% in the last three months.
A Complicated Cross-Border Pickle
Bick’s may be a Canadian household name, but its supply chain stretches across the border. While production takes place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the company still sources 11 million pounds of cucumbers from Ontario each year, along with jar lids from an Ontario supplier.
The new tariffs are making this cross-border flow more expensive, and Oakland warns it could mean buying fewer Canadian cucumbers and lids in the future—impacting Canadian farmers and manufacturers.
Buy Canadian—But at What Cost?
With tensions high, some consumers are choosing strictly Canadian-made products. But food economist Mike von Massow warns that this could unintentionally hurt Canadian suppliers linked to Bick’s. “If people stop buying Bick’s, then Bick’s buys fewer cucumbers from Canadian farmers,” he said.
Professor Kwaku Afesorgbor of the University of Guelph added that ultimately, shoppers pay the price—either through higher costs or fewer choices.
Pickle Lovers Feel the Crunch
For fans like Edmonton resident Crystal Porcher, the news is disappointing. A self-proclaimed pickle enthusiast—complete with a pickle tattoo—Porcher says she eats them at least twice a week.
“Obviously I’m going to be paying more for something I love to eat,” she said. “If I can’t find them, I’ll have to look for other options.”
The Future of Bick’s
Industry experts like John Cox of Pickle Packers International are calling for duty-free trade for food products under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), warning that high tariffs make it hard for pickle producers to stay profitable.
For now, pickle lovers may have to adjust their shopping lists—or be prepared to pay a little extra—for their favourite jar of Bick’s.
Karunakar Mohanta is the creator of OdiaYojana.in, a leading blog that provides the latest updates on government schemes, scholarships, and official notifications in Odia. With a mission to simplify complex government information, he helps Odia citizens stay informed and empowered. Follow him to stay updated on PM Yojanas, state benefits, and important deadlines.
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