Canadians sour on Americans as tariff tensions reshape the relationship
Perhaps most telling is the shift in how Canadians believe Ottawa should engage with Washington.
In February 2023, 73 per cent of Canadians favoured a friendly or partnership-based approach to the United States, but today 42 per cent of Canadians say the government should treat the US as a threat or even as an enemy. Only 23 per cent still favour a friendly or valued-partner framing.
Americans, for their part, remain largely warm. Seventy-eight per cent say Canada should be approached as a friendly nation or valued partner, a figure that stands in sharp contrast to the Canadian mood.
Tariff awareness and the August deadline
The survey also highlights a significant information gap between the two countries. Fifty-four per cent of Canadians say they are following the Canada-US tariff dispute closely, compared with only 23 per cent of Americans. A quarter of Americans say they are unaware of the tariffs at all.
With the August 19 tariff deadline closing in, 42 per cent of Canadians believe President Trump will follow through on his threat, while 33 per cent think it is a bluff. Americans are similarly divided: 37 per cent believe the tariffs will proceed, and 33 per cent think they will not.
