New poll shows Canadians want to fight US tariffs

A new poll released by the Angus Reid Institute shows that more than 50 percent of Canadians want Prime Minister Mark Carney to fight Trump's new wave of tariffs with his own. The poll also shows a microscopic number of Canadians want Canada to back down to Trump's wishes. The poll shows that Canadian resolve is strengthening, not weakening, after more than a year of threats from the leader of Canada's ex-ally.

Canadians on what approach the government should take

When asked what approach the Carney government should take against Donald Trump's tariffs, answers were consistent but showed a difference depending on the respondent's political affiliation. Overall, 62 per cent of Canadians believe the government should impose counter-tariffs on the United States. Just under half of those respondents believe the government should continue negotiations while imposing tariffs. The split came among conservative voters, with less than half of CPC voters in favour of more tariffs. Seventeen per cent of Conservative voters believe that Canada should comply with Donald Trump's request, while only 7 per cent of all respondents claim the same.

Canadians on anti-tariff concessions

When asked which US requests Canada should concede to, there was a clear difference of opinions. Overall, Canadians oppose allowing more US dairy products into Canada, while more are willing to concede to removing Canadian tariffs on vehicles manufactured in the US. Only 12 per cent of Canadians strongly oppose the latter, while 34 per cent strongly oppose the former. Canadians are also unwilling to remove the restrictions on US-brewed alcohol, with just under 50 per cent of respondents either opposing, or strongly opposing the concession.

Canadians on supply management

Respondents were also asked whether or not Canada should remove the supply management policies that are currently in place – policies that have been an irritation to Donald Trump. Overall, 42 per cent of Canadians believe Mark Carney should stand strong on supply management, not conceding anything to the US. That number is significantly lower among Conservative voters, with just 20 per cent of CPC voters agreeing. Among NDP, Bloc, and Liberal voters, more than 56 per cent believe Canada should not concede its supply management policies.

Canadians' confidence in Mark Carney

When asked about their confidence in Mark Carney and his Liberal government, voters were split. Right now, 50 per cent of respondents claim that they trust Mark Carney to make decisions that benefit Canada, while 43 per cent do not have faith in Carney's Liberals. The reasoning for the trust and distrust was broken down into four categories. Respondents either believe that Trump is too unpredictable, that Carney is underqualified, that Trump will eventually back down, or that Carney and his government are well equipped to deal with Trump's threats.

Canadians don't trust Trump

A question that nearly all respondents answered consistently regarded their trust of Donald Trump. When asked whether or not they believe Trump will honour a deal negotiated, 75 per cent of respondents say they believe they cannot trust Donald Trump to honour a trade deal with Canada. While a third of CPC voters say they do trust Trump to honour a deal, that number is less than 5 per cent for liberal and NDP voters. Not a single voter aligned with Bloc Québécois said they would trust Trump to honour a new trade deal.

CUSMA up for review

With the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in the air, Canadians continue struggling with uncertainty regarding their biggest trading partner. The United States declined to extend CUSMA past its initial six-year checkpoint on July 1, 2026, opting instead to trigger a process of annual reviews while negotiations continue. Canada and Mexico both supported a full 16-year extension to 2042, but the U.S. withheld agreement to pressure both nations into renegotiating specific trade terms. The trade deal remains fully in effect and legally binding as of now. It does not face final expiration until 2036 unless a formal six-month withdrawal notice is given by any member country.