Canadians support hard line against U.S., but don't want to pay for it - National Post
Pedestrians cross the street in front the Parliament buildings in Ottawa on Sept. 8, 2026. Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday said reducing economic ties with the United States would come at a cost but the long-term benefits were clear. Photo by Dave Chan/AFP via Getty ImagesArticle contentWhile Canadians remain broadly supportive of “holding firm” in a trade war with the United States, a new poll finds that this support drops off a cliff the moment Canadians are asked to pay for it.
The survey conducted by the think tank Build Canada found a clear majority said they would not support any trade strategy that threatened their retirement savings, risked the job of someone close to them, or incurred even a moderate increase to their taxes.
When asked if they would pay an extra $500 per year to hold the line in the current trade war, 56 per cent called this “unacceptable.”
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The extra cost would work out to an overall tax increase of about one per cent, given that the average Canadian household pays about $48,000 in annual taxes.
Respondents were even less unwilling to risk any kind of employment consequence, with 68 per cent calling it “unacceptable” for Ottawa’s trade war prosecution to come at the cost of “increased household job-loss risk.”
Both sentiments seemed to differ from the number of respondents calling for Canada to “hold firm” on its trade policy with the U.S.; just 20 per cent said Canada should “make concessions” in order to maintain its trade access to the U.S.
“These results reveal tension between Canada’s preferred negotiating position and Canadians’ acceptance of its potential economic consequences,” read an accompanying analysis by Build Canada.
Last month, Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected a deal that could have normalized U.S. trade relations after months of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Article contentIn response, the U.S. launched a new round of 50 per cent tariffs on an estimated $27.6 billion in Canadian imports. Starting on Tuesday, the Carney government retaliated with a package of 639 counter-tariffs on U.S. exports to Canada.
