Many Canadians and Americans are angry about U.S. tariffs: poll

OTTAWA — A new poll suggests that a large number of both Canadians and Americans feel angry about U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariffs on imports.

The Leger poll, which surveyed a sample of 1,631 Canadians and 1,011 Americans between April 4 and 7, suggests that the announcement of new tariffs by Trump on April 2 sparked strong emotional reactions on both sides of the border.

Fifty-seven per cent of Canadian respondents and 33 per cent of Americans said they feel “angry” about the latest round of tariffs. Thirty-two per cent of Canadian respondents and 27 per cent of Americans said they feel “anxious.”

The poll, which was conducted online and can’t be assigned a margin of error, suggested that Americans feel divided about the topic, as 26 per cent of respondents in the U.S. said they feel “hopeful.” Only five per cent of Canadians said they feel that way.

Ten per cent of both Canadians and Americans said they feel “indifferent” about Trump’s April 2 announcement.

Andrew Enns, Leger’s executive vice-president for central Canada, said this was the firm’s first tracking on tariffs since Trump announced a list of global tariffs.

“The general sentiment among Canadians was very negative and, you know, to be expected,” Enns said, adding that the stock market reaction was also very negative, which could have added to people’s anxiety. “I don’t think there was much relief from Canadians.”

Enns said it’s noteworthy that there is a decent percentage of Americans who viewed April 2 with some hope, though many others were upset.

“I think the administration has work to do in its own backyard now to sort of make this tariff case, which largely they haven’t had really to do,” Enns said.

Among Canadians, Quebecers said they were the angriest, at 60 per cent. Fifty-nine per cent of Ontarians, 55 per cent of people in British Columbia and 51 per cent of people in Alberta said they were angry.

Quebecers also seemed to be the most anxious, at 37 per cent. That’s compared to 32 per cent of Ontarians and Albertans and 30 per cent of people in British Columbia.

Older Canadians aged 55 and older were the angriest, at 63 per cent, compared to 56 per cent of people aged 35 to 54 and 47 per cent of people aged 18 to 34.

Women said they were more anxious than men, at 36 and 28 per cent.

More Liberal respondents said they were angry and anxious than Conservatives.

While 72 per cent of Liberals said they were angry about the tariffs, only 43 per cent of Conservatives felt that way. While 41 per cent of Liberals said they were anxious, only 25 per cent of Conservatives said they were too.

On the American side, 41 per cent of people in the Northeast said they felt angry, compared to 36 per cent of people in the Midwest, 32 per cent of people in the South and 28 per cent of people in the West.

Sixty-four per cent of Democrats said they were angry, compared to only seven per cent of Republicans. Similarly, 43 per cent of Democrats said they were anxious, compared to 13 per cent of Republicans.

On the flip side, 52 per cent of Republicans said they felt hopeful, compared to only six per cent of Democrats.

Only 28 per cent of American respondents said they thought Trump made the right decision for the U.S. economy with his April 2 tariff announcement.

Canada amped up its retaliatory measures against Trump’s tariffs Wednesday as the United States president brought his trade war to the world.

A 10 per cent baseline tariff on imports to the U.S. from most countries, and higher duties on dozens of nations, came into force just after midnight following days of turmoil in global markets.

While Canada isn’t being targeted by Trump’s global tariffs, the country is being hit by U.S. automobile, steel and aluminum tariffs and still faces the ongoing threat of economywide fentanyl-related tariffs.

Ottawa added to its retaliatory measures Wednesday in response to the automobile duties by implementing similar tariffs on vehicles imported from the United States.

In another poll this week, which was also conducted online and surveyed 1,631 Canadians between April 4 and 6, Leger asked whether respondents got the impression that Trump, and his threats of U.S. tariffs, is trying to influence who becomes Canada’s next prime minister.

Thirty-six per cent of Canadians said “yes, definitely,” while another 36 per cent said “maybe.” Only 19 per cent of respondents said “no.”

“Canadians aren’t big fans of the president,” said Enns, adding that recent polling shows that many Canadians have an unfavourable view of Trump.

Enns pointed out that Trump took jabs at former prime minister Justin Trudeau, including by calling him “governor,” and that caught Canadians’ attention.

“To think that he might be up to something somewhat, you know, underhanded to influence our choice for prime minister isn’t a big stretch for Canadians,” Enns said.

The polling industry’s professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press