As this column is being written, a set of tariffs implemented by the United States is supposed to come into force on April 2. In an American administration where “alternative facts” have once again become a staple, and where the head of state changes his mind swiftly on social media, the reminder from airline pilots after a safe landing comes in handy: “Contents may have shifted.”
One thing that has not changed is the level of attention that Canadians are paying to the dispute. More than four in five Canadians (84 per cent, down three points since early February) are following news related to the tariffs “very closely” or “somewhat closely.” This is happening in the middle of a federal election campaign, and after 30 per cent of Canadians told us that Canada-U.S. Relations is the most important issuefacing the country.
Prime Minister Mark Carney appears to have struck the right chord. Almost three in five Canadians (59 per cent) approve of his performance to deal with the tariffs implemented by the United States, up five points from the number registered by predecessor Justin Trudeau. The needle did not move for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who remains at 47 per cent.
Another question shows that the Liberal Party did not err in forcing a leadership race. The proportion of Canadians who think a Conservative federal government would be better positioned at this point to deal with the tariffs fell from 49 per cent in early February to 44 per cent now. Losing five points in the middle of a campaign that is clearly turning into a referendum on who’s best to manage U.S. President Donald Trump is not great for the Conservatives—especially when only 29 per cent of those aged 55 and over regard Poilievre as the best man for the job.
Canadians are still more likely to believe that their premiers have been better at managing Trump (56 per cent, down five points) than their leaders of the opposition (37 per cent, down six points). British Columbia Premier David Eby has seen his numbers drop by 14 points to 53 per cent, while Alberta’s Danielle Smith fell from 58 per cent to 42 per cent. Both of these provincial heads of government have been in the news for different reasons related to the tariffs: an ill-fated legislation proposal from Eby and an ill-advised interview by Smith. The satisfaction rating is higher for Doug Ford in Ontario (59 per cent, down five points) and François Legault in Quebec (56 per cent, down two points).
Most Canadians continue to believe that enhancing trade relationships with other countries is the answer, with massive support for fostering closer ties with Australia and New Zealand (81 per cent, up three points), the European Union (79 per cent, up two points), Mexico (78 per cent, up three points) and Japan (75 per cent, unchanged). Requesting an independent dispute settlement panel under the terms of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement dropped from 64 per cent to 59 per cent.
The numbers did not move much on initiating a formal process for Canada to become an American state, with 21 per cent of Canadians (down one point) agreeing with this course of action. Support is decidedly higher (52 per cent) for a serious discussion about Canada becoming an EU member.
Our collective urge to “Buy Canadian” has not subsided. We continue to see more than three in five Canadians (64 per cent, up one point) avoiding goods originated from the United States if a non-American alternative is available. Trip cancellations to U.S. destinations have increased (37 per cent, up 11 points) as well as avoidance of American entertainment options (35 per cent, up four points). The numbers are stable (41 per cent) on eschewing American restaurant franchises in Canada.
This last category presents a conundrum. We asked respondents to identify if 10 different restaurants are Canadian, and Harvey’s came out on top at 52 per cent. This means that almost half of Canadians are not certain about the domestic origin of one of the country’s foremost brands. The results are lower for other establishments, such as New York Fries and Panago (each at 23 per cent). This explains why some of these restaurants are reminding possible customers that they are not American.
As we await Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day”—and U.S. Vice-President JD Vance returns from a trip to Greenland that could have been codenamed “Mission Lebensraum”—Canadians are willing to play rough. Support is exceptionally high for targeted action, such as shutting off all energy exports to the United States (70 per cent), and suspending all steel, aluminum and wood exports (72 per cent) until Trump completely removes the threat of tariffs.
Taking a diplomatic approach is not as popular, with almost three in five Canadians (58 per cent) favouring a recall of the Canadian ambassador to the United States in response to the president’s statements, and more than two-thirds (68 per cent) wanting Canada to officially demand an apology from Trump. Last week, the American president did not use the word “governor” to refer to the Canadian prime minister. It is impossible to say if this will last.
Mario Canseco is president of Research Co.
Results are based on an online survey conducted from March 27-29, 2025, among 1,001 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to census figures for age, gender and region in Canada. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, in each country.
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