The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) is extending the Certified Canadian Publisher program, first launched in October 2025, to all eligible professional Canadian-owned book publishers.

The program was created by the ACP in response to increased consumer interest in identifying and buying Canadian products following the initial application of tariffs on Canadian goods last year by the current U.S. administration.

“With more than 500 multinational imprints flooding the market, it can be difficult for readers to identify which books are published by Canadian-owned companies,” the ACP says in its announcement.

The Certified Canadian Publisher seal identifies a book as being published by a Canadian-owned publisher. The seal can be printed on the back cover, spine, or copyright page of participating publishers’ titles.

The program was initially available only to ACP members, but the plan had always been to roll out the Certified Canadian Publisher mark beyond the association’s membership to all publishers who meet the eligibilty criteria. “We are excited to open the program to eligible publishers … and invite presses from across the country to join us in making Canadian publishing more visible to readers everywhere,” says ACP president Lisa Quinn.

ACP members can participate as part of their membership, while non-members can enroll for an annual fee based on the size of their organization.

As part of the program, publishers have access to a variety of digital marketing and promotional assets, including social media graphics, advertising and poster templates, customizable design files, and guidance on incorporating the Certified Canadian Publisher brand into their marketing and communications.

How to foreground and promote books published by Canadian-owned publishers has long been a concern in that sector of the industry. As the ACP states in it announcement: “The publishing industry in Canada is a $1.4 billion sector, selling nearly 50 million books each year. Yet Canadian-owned publishers represented just 6 per cent of reported sales in 2025, despite producing around 80 per cent of all English-language books by Canadian authors.”

The Certified Canadian Publisher intitiative has had an impact in the trade, says Laura Rock Gaughan, the ACP’s acting executive director. “We’ve had a warm reception from retail partners across the country. They’ve highlighted titles from Certified Canadian Publishers in displays, making it easier for the public to support Canadian-owned businesses.”