As Canadians, we take pride in things that are made right here at home. The recent shift in buying trends toward sustainability and ecology consciousness has impacted the replacement window industry as well. For many homeowners shopping for new windows, where the product is manufactured matters as much as anything else.
Many customers shopping around are more likely to buy windows when they know that they’re made in their backyard. There are probably many companies in your area that sell and/or manufacture locally sourced windows. But some companies try to take advantage of the appeal of a “Made In Canada” product and mislead potential customers.
For all who wants to know, Ecoline Windows replacement windows and doors are manufactured in Ontario.
How do you know if windows are made in Canada?
In Canada, the Competition Bureau is responsible for ensuring that manufacturing claims are adhered to, and no false information is provided. While by law products sold in Canada do not require country of origin labelling, products that claim to be “Made In Canada” have to meet certain conditions to qualify.
The Bureau will generally not challenge that a product is “Made in Canada” if all three of these conditions are met:
- the last substantial transformation of the good occurred in Canada;
- at least 51% of the total direct costs of producing or manufacturing the good have been incurred in Canada; and
- the “Made in Canada” representation is accompanied by an appropriate qualifying statement, such as “Made in Canada with imported parts” or “Made in Canada with domestic and imported parts”. This could also include more specific information such as “Made in Canada with 60% Canadian content and 40% imported content”.
This is where it gets tricky with custom windows. While the manufacturing process may take place in one area, the products involved very rarely travel the same path. Many manufacturers today resort to importing vinyl and glass from other places. While this satisfies the first criteria, it often has an effect on the ratio of direct costs associated with manufacturing.
Even if the window is assembled locally and meets the above criteria, but is made mostly from parts sourced elsewhere, it cannot carry the “Made in Canada” branding.
This way you will be able to distinguish whether your replacement can really be called Canadian and whether window manufacturers are presenting this information to customers honestly.
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