Chapman's Ice Cream pledges to cut American ingredients without raising prices

Chapman’s Ice Cream , the largest independent ice cream manufacturer in Canada , has pledged to completely shift away from United States companies and ingredients — without increasing its prices for Canadian customers — in response to “ unjustified tariffs ” imposed by the United States.

In posts on its social media on Aug. 26, Chapman’s said it has been working since the first round of tariffs to re-source components to Canadian or non-U.S. companies, and is now on track to convert over 70 per cent of its American ingredients by mid-2027.

It said the business has not only managed to keep its costs the same, but we have also partnered with other Canadian companies to reshore production of some items that have never been produced in Canada before.

“We stand with the Canadian government, and all provinces, in our outright rejection of these unjustified tariffs,” said chief operating officer Ashley Chapman. “Walking away from a ‘deal’ that would sacrifice our economic sovereignty and harm the unique cultural identity of Quebec was the only option.”

In a phone interview Thursday, chief operating officer Ashley Chapman said the business has done well in the latest round of tariffs but was hit by the initial batch that began early last year.

Since the company only exports a small amount of product into the U.S. through private label, Chapman said the impact of retaliatory tariffs from the Canadian government were minimal and “really not even a consideration.”

“We’ve already converted so much to non-USA sources as far as our ingredients and components that I am in a much better place with my entire business today than I was at the beginning of 2025,” he said.

One example of an ingredient Chapman’s decided to source outside of the U.S. is almonds. The company now uses a supplier from Australia, which Chapman said is costing the company less, even with shipping, than it used to pay American suppliers.

“There were certainly a lot of very difficult conversations (but) there was no anger on the side of the Americans,” he said about halting sourcing from U.S. suppliers. “Some of these people we’ve had relationships for 10, 20, even 30 years with no issues whatsoever besides your normal supply issues.”

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The family-run company has been making ice cream and frozen treats since 1973, and has a lineup of more than 280 products sold across the country.

Chapman said that as the trade war escalates, the business is making the commitment to its customers that it will not have a price increase until March 2028.

“We will continue to support our employees with a living wage and provide our customers with the best product for the best price, using only 100% Canadian dairy,” he said. “ Buy Canadian, Support Canadian !”

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