Canadians support hard line against U.S., but don’t want to pay for it

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While 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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In 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.

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The new tariffs range from a 50 per cent tax on U.S.-manufactured toilet paper, to a 25 per cent tax on U.S.-made industrial lawnmowers.

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Thus far, Ottawa has not indicated any intention to return to the negotiating table, with Carney suggesting they are planning to maintain the status quo until at least the end of Trump’s current term in 2029.

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At an Aug. 24 announcement regarding a trade war subsidy package, Carney said “we will support these businesses for as long as it takes, in other words, beyond the life of this U.S. administration.”

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In a video address released Tuesday, Carney warned that there would be economic consequences as his government pursued a longer-term strategy of reducing Canadian ties to the U.S. market.

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“That pivot will come at a cost. There’s always a cost to action. But it doesn’t come close to the cost of standing still,” he said.