The so-called buy Canadian movement gained momentum when Donald Trump suggested, half in jest but with a tone of menace, that Canada could one day become America’s “51st state.”

The remark struck a nerve. Canadians reacted with indignation and pride, choosing to affirm their sovereignty not only through political rhetoric but also through their wallets. Many began rejecting U.S. products and looking more deliberately at what it meant to support Canadian ones.

At first glance, it appears that some companies have gained from this wave of patriotism. Liquor boards reported stronger sales of Canadian wines and beers, though these increases were largely the product of institutional bans on U.S. products rather than a broad-based consumer awakening. In grocery retail, NielsenIQ data showed U.S. food product sales falling by 8.5% last spring within only a few months.

Yet the sales of Canadian products remained largely flat, suggesting that the vacuum left by fewer American imports did not translate into an equivalent rise in domestic demand.

Instead, the gap has invited another phenomenon: “Maple washing.” This is where products are branded or marketed as Canadian even though they are not genuinely so. We have seen oranges and almonds........

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