After the introduction of the Blue Basket, the Legault government continues to promote Quebec purchasing with new Products of Quebec certification marks.
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Three categories will be developed, namely Product of Quebec, Made in Quebec and Designed in Quebec, to allow Quebecers to more easily identify products from here.
“We will now have easily identifiable fleur-de-lis logos. It will allow Quebecers to find local products on the shelves at a glance and encourage purchases from our businesses, ”said Premier François Legault, who made the announcement Thursday in Lac-Mégantic. , in Estrie.
An identification process has thus been developed by the organization to determine the products that will be entitled to this certification.
A Quebec product is therefore manufactured and has at least 85% of its costs related to the purchase of inputs, its processing or its assembly in the province. A product made in Quebec is manufactured and has its last substantial transformation in Quebec.
A product designed in Quebec has the workforce assigned to the design activities located in the province.
“Buying from Quebec can make all the difference for our merchants. We must therefore be able to recognize local products in order to prioritize their purchase. When you buy products from here, all of Quebec benefits,” said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy and Innovation and Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development.
A call has been made to Quebec companies wishing to have one of these marks affixed to their products, which may be visible on goods by next fall.
However, this new certification will not apply to beverages and food products for human consumption, which already have their Aliments du Québec logo and its variations.
A decision hailed in the business community
Manufacturers and Exporters of Quebec (MEQ) quickly welcomed the announcement of Quebec, considering this certification as a “showcase”.
“Manufacturers are proud to show what they do here and the Products of Quebec certification was expected. For the manufacturing industry, this is a significant step forward in encouraging the purchase of local products among Quebec consumers, who are more and more likely to want to source local products, “said Véronique in a press release. Proulx, President and CEO of MEQ.
Same story with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
“Buying local was a survival factor for nearly one in three Quebec SMEs during the most difficult times of the pandemic. The announcement [de jeudi]combined with the tabling of Bill 12, consolidates the government’s action regarding its intention to put forward the tools necessary to encourage the products of our local SMEs, both in their design or manufacture and for the SME access to public markets,” said François Vincent, Vice-President Quebec at the CFIB.