More than three-quarters of Canadians say their government made the right decision by walking away from trade negotiations with the United States, according to a new poll released as tensions between the two longtime trading partners escalate.
The Angus Reid Institute poll found that 76% of respondents believed Canada was right “by refusing the terms being offered and ending negotiations without a trade agreement.”
Just 13% said Canada made the wrong decision, while another 11% said they were unsure.
The findings come after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pulled his country’s negotiators from trade discussions with the United States on Friday evening, shortly before a new round of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration took effect.
Carney followed that move Saturday by announcing that Canada would retaliate with its own tariffs against the United States beginning Sept. 8.
The planned retaliation comes in response to the Trump administration imposing new 50% duties on more than $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Products affected by the American tariffs include wine and cement.
During a press conference announcing Canada’s response, Carney said his government would retaliate against the United States on an equal basis.
Ottawa will “match Washington’s new tariffs dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families and businesses,” Carney said.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the growing dispute Sunday, arguing in a Truth Social post that Canada wants the advantages of being part of the United States without actually joining the country.
Trump claimed Canada desires the “benefits of being a state, without being one,” a reference to his previous comments about acquiring Canada and making it America’s 51st state.
The new polling, meanwhile, suggests Canadians are far from certain that the two countries will ultimately be able to strike a new trade agreement.
Only 6% of those surveyed said they were “very confident” that Canada and the United States would eventually reach a new trade deal.
Another 33% said they were “confident” an agreement would ultimately be reached.
Nearly half of respondents, however, expressed doubts about the prospects for a deal, with 48% saying they were “not confident” that the two neighboring countries would eventually reach a new agreement.
An additional 14% said they were unsure about their confidence level.
The results show broad support among those surveyed for Canada’s decision to end the negotiations even as significant uncertainty remains over where the escalating trade dispute could ultimately lead.
The Angus Reid Institute conducted the poll from Aug. 22 through Aug. 23.
The survey included 1,468 Canadian adults and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
