How Trump's Tariffs Are Impacting the Exotic Snack Market – A Canadian Retailer’s Perspective

At InOutSnackz, we’ve always prided ourselves on offering a wide selection of exotic snacks in Canada — including rare American snacks that our customers love. But with the recent U.S. import tariffs introduced by former President Donald Trump, the landscape of importing snacks from the USA to Canada has taken a serious hit.

Tariffs Are Driving Up Prices

Last Thursday, I visited my main snack suppliers in Toronto, and the numbers don’t lie — USA-imported products have jumped in cost by an average of $15 per case. One striking example is the Snickers Butterscotch (USA). Before the tariffs, a case of 24 units cost us $40. Now? It’s sitting at $55 per case. That’s a 37.5% increase almost overnight.

Why It Matters

These tariffs are putting a major squeeze on Canadian exotic snack stores, especially those of us who specialize in imported snacks and international treats. With slim margins to begin with, a sudden cost spike like this forces us to make a tough choice:

• Raise our retail prices (and risk losing customers), or
• Stop importing USA snacks altogether

It’s Not Just Snickers – It’s Everything

From Cheetos Flamin’ Hot variations to limited edition Mountain Dew flavours, almost every American product in Canada is now under pricing pressure. Many of our customers love these items because they can’t find them anywhere else. But with the current tariffs, it’s simply not worth importing U.S. snacks until this situation improves.

Looking Ahead

While we hope these tariffs are temporary, we want to be transparent with our customers:

• You may notice fewer USA snacks in our store.
• Prices on existing USA stock may be higher than usual.
• We’re actively increasing inventory from Asia, Europe, and South America to keep our international snack selection in Canada exciting.

As soon as these tariffs are lifted or adjusted, we plan to resume importing American snacks at the same volume — and pricing — our customers know and love.

Support Local, Shop Global

Now more than ever, your support helps small Canadian businesses like ours stay afloat through challenging policy changes. We’re doing everything we can to keep our snack selection diverse, exciting, and fairly priced.

Stay tuned for new exotic snack arrivals, and thank you for riding out the snack storm with us!

— InOutSnackz 🍫🌎