As Canada prepares for another round of trade negotiations with the United States, Canadians appear to have little appetite for giving more ground.
Our latest survey shows that many feel the federal government has already been too passive. When Canadians are asked what should happen next, the preference is clearer: push harder, limit concessions and keep more aggressive responses on the table.
Key Highlights
- 56% of Canadians want the federal government to take a hard line and make no more concessions, compared with 31% who favour flexibility if needed.
- 38% of Canadians describe the government’s approach so far as quite passive, while 30% call it balanced and 15% quite aggressive.
- 74% of Canadians support a special tax on electricity sold to the U.S., while 70% support restricting U.S.-owned companies from bidding on Canadian government contracts and 70% support taxing oil and natural gas exports.
- Canadians are less open to major concessions: 46% support opening passenger air travel to U.S. airlines, compared with 26% who support reducing supply management and 25% who favour greater U.S. access to Canadian banking.
- If a new trade deal is reached, 47% of Canadians say a federal election should follow, compared with 35% who disagree.
Canadians Are More Comfortable Applying Pressure Than Making Concessions
Beyond the measures highlighted above, 64% of Canadians support banning the sale of U.S. liquor in Canada, while 63% favour taxing potash exports and 59% support tariffs on a broad range of U.S.-manufactured goods.
Support is much lower when Canadians are presented with potential concessions. 38% of Canadians support giving U.S. telecom companies greater access to the Canadian market, while 33% support fully resuming the sale of American alcohol across Canada.
There are also important differences by region and demographic group. 61% of Quebecers want the government to take a hard line and make no more concessions, compared with 46% of Albertans. Women are also less supportive than men of several concessions involving telecommunications, banking and supply management.
Political affiliation matters too. Conservative voters are generally more open to concessions than Liberal, NDP or Bloc Québécois voters. Even so, 51% of Conservative voters still favour taking a hard line in the negotiations.
The pattern echoes our recent research on Canadians’ response to U.S. tariffs, where trade tensions were already shaping how Canadians viewed the relationship with the United States.
Canadians Also Want a Say in What Comes Next
The appetite for a tougher approach does not end at the negotiating table. Canadians are also thinking about what should happen once a deal is reached, and whether they should have a direct say in the outcome.
47% of Canadians believe a federal election should be called if a new Canada-U.S. trade agreement is reached, so voters can express their opinion on the deal. Support rises to 67% among Conservative voters, compared with 34% among Liberal voters. It also reaches 51% among Bloc Québécois voters and 45% among NDP voters.
The survey also points to broader tensions in the Canada-U.S. relationship. 43% of Canadians believe the federal government should formally request that U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra be recalled and replaced. Nineteen per cent disagree, while 38% are unsure.
For Ottawa, that raises the stakes beyond simply reaching an agreement. Canadians are watching what the country gives up, how firmly the government negotiates and, for many, whether the final deal warrants a new political mandate.
For official information on Canada’s relationship and engagement with the United States, visit Global Affairs Canada.
Methodology
Our survey was conducted online from August 15 to 17, 2026, among 1,622 Canadian residents aged 18 and older. Respondents were randomly recruited through Leger’s LEO online panel and could complete the survey in English or French.
Results were weighted according to age, gender, mother tongue, region, education and the presence of children in the household to ensure a representative sample of the Canadian population.
A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error no greater than ±2.4%, 19 times out of 20.
