Ottawa — 2 October 2026

Nineteen months after the trade dispute with the United States began, a new survey suggests that Canadians’ determination to avoid American products and buy Canadian has changed little.

According to the latest Abacus Data survey, 77 per cent of Canadians say they want to avoid American products entirely or buy as few as possible. In February 2025, 78 per cent gave that response.

These figures suggest that the ‘Buy Canadian’ sentiment that emerged when U.S. President Donald Trump began announcing tariffs against Canada remains widespread nineteen months later.

Another notable change is the increase in respondents reporting that they have bought more Canadian products. The share rose from 53 per cent in February 2025 to 61 per cent in September 2026.

Travel to the United States has also been affected. Among respondents for whom a U.S. trip was applicable, 32 per cent reported having cancelled such a trip in February 2025. That proportion rose to 52 per cent in September 2026.

The share reporting that they had avoided American gas stations increased from 33 to 39 per cent. Avoiding American retailers rose from 20 to 26 per cent, while reducing purchases on Amazon increased from 21 to 26 per cent.

The share reporting that they had cancelled American streaming services also rose from 14 to 20 per cent. The percentages for these actions exclude respondents who said the particular activity did not apply to them.

Price nevertheless remains an important challenge. Sixty-one per cent believe that Canadian-made products generally cost more than comparable American products, compared with 60 per cent in February 2025.

There are also differences by age. The strongest commitment to avoiding American products entirely has softened somewhat among older Canadians. This does not mean that the broader preference to avoid American goods has disappeared.

Abacus Data conducted the first survey among 3,000 Canadian adults between 5 and 11 February 2025. It asked the same questions again of 1,479 Canadian adults between 4 and 9 September 2026. Both surveys were conducted online and weighted to census data.

The findings suggest that the Canada–U.S. trade dispute continues to influence the goods Canadians buy, their travel choices and the companies whose services they use, alongside its economic and political effects.