OTTAWA – Canadians overwhelmingly support the Carney government’s decision to reject a recent trade deal with the U.S., even amidst potential economic concerns, according to a new Nanos Research survey conducted for CTV News. The survey also concluded support for Canada’s counter tariffs, set to be imposed on Sept. 8, is at an all-time high. On Aug. 21, trade talks between Ottawa and Washington broke down and Prime Minister Mark Carney made the decision to end negotiations and walk away from the deal. As a result, the U.S. imposed 50 percent tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of Canadian products the next day. Ottawa then announced it would respond with dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs on a list of American imports worth nearly $28 billion, set to take effect Sept. 8. The survey gauged where Canadians stand on the ongoing trade war: support for rejecting the deal, their expected timeline for negotiations, concern about impact of tariffs, support for Canada’s countermeasures and more. On Canada turning down trade deal with U.S. Support for Canada’s decision to walk away from negotiations and reject the deal is very high. Three in four Canadian (75 per cent) say they support the decision, with another 10 per cent saying they somewhat support it. Around one in eight respondents said they either oppose (7.8 per cent) or somewhat oppose (4.4 per cent) Canada rejecting the trade deal. While most of the country is supportive of Canada’s decision to walk away from the trade deal, outright backing of the decision was lowest in the Prairies. Meanwhile, those 55 and older are more likely to support rejecting the trade deal with the U.S. Support for Canada’s counter-tariffs When it comes to supporting Canada’s countermeasures, four in five Canadians either support (59 per cent) or somewhat support (21 per cent) putting dollar-for-dollar tariffs on imports from the U.S. in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Less than one in five respondents oppose (10 per cent) or somewhat oppose (six per cent) Canada’s retaliatory measures. The data also shows an increase in the level of support since January 2025, when Nanos started tracking the metric. Specifically, the proportion of those who outright support the counter-tariffs (59 per cent) is the highest it has been. Canadians willing to pay higher prices The impact of tariffs is a big concern for Canadians: two-thirds are either worried (23 per cent) or somewhat worried (45 per cent) about the personal impact of tariffs. That being said, seven in ten Canadians are either willing (38 per cent) or somewhat willing (31 per cent) to pay more for everyday goods as part of a response to U.S. tariffs. About a quarter of respondents said they are not willing (17 per cent) or somewhat not willing (10 per cent) to shell out more money due to counter-tariffs. Buy Canadian, avoid American Canadians are responding with their wallets to Trump’s repeated comments about Canada. The president and members of his administration have consistently taken aim at Canada publicly, especially since trade talks fell apart. In response, more than three quarters of Canadians say they’ve sought out buying Canadian products (78 per cent) and avoided purchasing U.S. goods and services (77 per cent). Moreover, almost half have cancelled travel plans to the U.S. (47 per cent), more than a third have told American friends and family about their displeasure for Trump (35 per cent) and nearly a third have showed more patriotism when the Canadian anthem is played (31per cent) – all in response to Trump’s comments. The report also made several other findings about the state of relations between Canada and the United States, including that most respondents do not see the U.S. as a truth worthy ally. Three-quarters disagree (53 per cent) or somewhat disagree (21 per cent) that the U.S. is a trustworthy ally of Canada. However, most expect the relationship between the two countries will be better (22 per cent) or somewhat better (39 per cent) five years from now. Six in ten Canadians are either confident (22 per cent) or somewhat confident (39 per cent) that Canada can protect its economic interests if a new deal is reached with the U.S. Methodology: Nanos Research, RDD dual frame hybrid telephone and online random survey, Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, 2026, n=1037, accurate ±3.1 percentage points plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.
