NATIONAL PULSE – Americans oppose Trump’s tariff against Canada 2:1
Three-in-five Canadians support retaliatory tariffs, ban on critical exports if Trump threat materializes
By ANGUS REID INSTITUTE
January 16, 2025 – When President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, all eyes in this country will be watching to see how he follows through on his decision to apply a threatened 25-per-cent tariff on Canadian goods entering the United States.
New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds that among Americans and Canadians alike, the hope is that Trump is all talk.
In the U.S., one-quarter (26%) support the 25-per-cent tariff on Canada, while twice as many (50%) oppose it. Among Trump supporters, this idea is initially popular, with 53 per cent support and 19 per cent opposition. That said, when considering the potential impacts to American consumers of the price of U.S. goods, enthusiasm dissipates.
Among those Trump voters, half (49%) change their mind, and instead oppose the tariffs when they are informed that some projections are that gas could rise 30 to 70 cents per gallon, given America’s current level of import of Canadian oil.
For Canadians, much of the conversation has turned to their own government’s response. With the Liberal Party searching for a new leader, many are wondering who will lead the effort against Trump once parliament sits again in March. When it does, Canadians support assertive action in the face of Trump’s threats. Three-in-five say that if Trump does impose tariffs, Canada should do the same. A similar number would support a blanket 25 per cent on all American goods, or a targeted set of tariffs at that level on critical exports.
That isn’t to say that Canadians aren’t aware of the potential damage this burgeoning trade conflict could cause. Two-in-five (39%) say that their household would face significant harm if tariffs were enacted by Trump, while another one-in-three (34%) expect to feel the impact, but less so.
More Key Findings:
- 60 per cent of Canadians say the U.S. is the countries most important trading partner. Just 13 per cent of Americans say the same of Canada.
- That said, two-thirds of U.S. respondents say that the trade relationship between the two countries benefits each close to equally. Half in Canada say this, while 37 per cent say the U.S. derives more benefit from trade
- Asked what they consider “victory” in this trade conflict with Trump, 64 per cent of Canadians say no tariffs at all. Eight per cent say lower levels of tariffs would be a win, while one-in-five say there is no winning.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
What’s the point of NAFTA, how narrow and weak is this agreement? We see this all the time with softwood lumber, America places a tariff or duty on softwood, we take it to arbitration, we win, tariff/duty is removed only to go thru the same process with the next administration all over again. What’s that saying about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? We need to diversify our trade, these are people we just can’t rely on to stick to an agreement.
I hate the fact that we’ll soon be shipping raw crude out of Vancouver but we have to ship it offshore somewhere, we can not trust the Americans. Hilary was right, half of them belong in a “basket of deplorables”.
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What’s the point of NAFTA, how narrow and weak is this agreement? We see this all the time with softwood lumber, America places a tariff or duty on softwood, we take it to arbitration, we win, tariff/duty is removed only to go thru the same process with the next administration all over again. What’s that saying about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? We need to diversify our trade, these are people we just can’t rely on to stick to an agreement.
I hate the fact that we’ll soon be shipping raw crude out of Vancouver but we have to ship it offshore somewhere, we can not trust the Americans. Hilary was right, half of them belong in a “basket of deplorables”.
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If we import products on an ongoing basis that we can’t produce or grow here then it would seem counterintuitive to raise prices artificially. If America wants to raise the price on products from here that they import on an ongoing basis then that is a funny way to do business and they will soon turn on the brainiac that caused the price increase.
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