Canadian maple syrup is cheaper in Australia. An expert explains why you might be seeing higher prices
Canadian maple syrup is cheaper in Australia than at some Canadian stores, to the immense frustration of some Canadians syrup fans.
A Reddit commentator recently pointed out that Canadian maple syrup is cheaper in grocery stores in Australia than on its home turf.
Posting in the subreddit r/loblawsisoutofcontrol , they wrote: “Canadian maple syrup cheaper in Australia than at Loblaws. 250 ml jar at Woolworths — $6.00 Australian (roughly CAD$5.85). Downsized 200 ml jar at Loblaws — $6.50.”
The user compared Woolworths 100% Canadian Maple Syrup with President’s Choice 100% Pure Maple Syrup — the cheapest option currently available at Loblaws.
The post quickly drew frustration from commenters.
Others pointed out that the Australian bottle contains 50 ml more syrup, and that the Australian dollar is weaker than the Canadian dollar.
A broader price check confirms that Loblaws is not the outlier. The Woolworths maple syrup undercuts the cheapest available options across leading Canadian grocery chains.
Woolworths 100% Canadian Maple Syrup is priced at AUD$2.40 per 100 ml (roughly $2.34).
Meanwhile, Irrésistible Amber Maple Syrup retails at $2.40 per 100 ml in Food Basics; 100% Pure Panache Maple Syrup is sold for $2.66 per 100 ml at FreshCo; President’s Choice 100% Pure Maple Syrup is priced at $2.75 per 100 ml in No Frills; and Acadian Maple Pure Maple Syrup retails at $2.80 per 100 ml in Sobeys.
National Post spoke to Sylvain Charlebois , director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast, who explained: “The pricing really depends on the retailer. Some may decide to sell maple syrup as a loss leader, or sometimes the marketing board selling the maple syrup will settle on a deal that varies between countries.”
When it comes to Australia, Charlebois said: “Australia can ship very efficiently on the water — water is the most efficient way to transport products. For example, if you want to sell maple syrup in Alberta or even Manitoba, you could actually be seeing higher prices because you have to put it on a truck, and trucking tends to be more expensive than shipping on water.”
Still, some Reddit users were skeptical as to whether the Woolworth’s syrup is really 100% pure.
Many pointed to the controversy surrounding a maple syrup company based in Quebec, called Érablière Steve Bourdeau, which is currently the target of a class-action lawsuit.
The class-action request is based on revelations from Radio-Canada’s investigative program Enquête, which tested five cans of the maple syrup sold in grocery stores. All samples contained at least 50 per cent cane sugar .
Users said that this story left them suspicious of the Woolworth’s syrup.
But Charlebois explained: “Typically, when you have maple syrup overseas, you’re supposed to have some guarantees linked to the shipment, because the sale would go through the Strategic Reserve. And the Strategic Reserve in Quebec is heavily guarded and tested, so the maple syrup you would find in Australia is highly likely to be 100% maple syrup.”
Meanwhile, many commenters focused on ways to cut costs, suggesting that shoppers buy larger containers to lower the unit price.
Even from space, we can all agree that maple syrup belongs on pancakes.
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) April 9, 2026
Safe journey home to Colonel Jeremy Hansen and the entire Artemis II crew. pic.twitter.com/FqPD2FvsNr
For example, a litre of Maple Crest 100% Pure Maple Syrup retails at $18.99 in Loblaws, working out at $1.90 per 100ml — significantly cheaper than smaller bottles.
The debate comes as food prices remain a major pressure point for Canadians, with the country home to the highest food inflation rate in the G7 at 7.3 per cent, according to a February report .
And yet, it’s unlikely consumers will be giving up on maple syrup, despite the controversial price point.
The sweet syrup is so beloved by Canadians that it was even the topic of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s conversation with Canadian astronaut and Artemis II crew member Jeremy Hansen, who is currently journeying back to earth following the record-breaking around to the moon.
On a video call with the crew, Carney asked: “A lot of Canadians just wanted one point of reassurance, that the preference is for maple syrup over Nutella on your pancakes in the morning.”
Hansen replied: “Absolutely, sir.”
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