7-in-10 Canadians Support Carney’s Decision To Halt U.S. Trade Talks, New Abacus Poll Shows
Adedokun Waliyu
3 min read
Canada’s trade standoff with Donald Trump and the United States is entering a volatile new phase — but a large majority of Canadians say Prime Minister Mark Carney was right to walk away from negotiations rather than accept last‑minute terms from Washington, according to a sweeping new Abacus Data survey.
The poll, conducted Aug. 21–26 and based on just over 2,000 Canadian adults, finds 71 per cent believe the federal government made the right decision to suspend talks, even after respondents were explicitly reminded that doing so would mean higher tariffs and greater economic uncertainty. Only 17 per cent say Ottawa should have accepted the U.S. offer, while 12 per cent are unsure.
The results amount to a public endorsement of Carney’s decision to pull Canadian negotiators from Washington on Aug. 21, after the U.S. introduced what he called “unfair” and “uneconomic” changes that raised doubts about the reliability of any deal. The following day, 50 per cent U.S. tariffs took effect on roughly $28 billion worth of Canadian goods.
Canada’s retaliatory tariffs — 15, 25 and 50 per cent on $27.6 billion in U.S. imports — would take effect Sept. 8, alongside $7.5 billion in support for affected workers and businesses.
Support for suspending the talks crosses regional and partisan lines. Abacus data finds backing above 60 per cent in every region except Alberta — where support still sits at a majority‑level of 61 per cent — and reaches a high of 79 per cent in Quebec. Even 54 per cent of 2025 Conservative voters say walking away was the right call, despite the party’s criticism of Carney’s broader trade strategy.
Generational divides are sharper: support rises steadily with age, from 56 per cent among 18‑ to 29‑year‑olds to 85 per cent among Canadians 60 and older. Younger Canadians are not opposed, but they are more ambivalent — with more than one in four saying Ottawa should have taken the deal.
Beyond the decision to suspend talks, 60 per cent of Canadians approve of how Carney and the federal government have handled the negotiations overall. Only 18 per cent disapprove.
Approval is strongest in Québec, Ontario and British Columbia, and lowest in Alberta, where 48 per cent approve and 24 per cent disapprove.
The partisan split is more pronounced here: while Liberal, Bloc Québécois and NDP voters overwhelmingly approve of the government’s handling, Conservative voters are divided — 36 per cent approve, 38 per cent disapprove.
Despite strong support for Carney’s stance, Canadians are far less optimistic about what comes next.
Only 15 per cent expect a quick resolution that removes most tariffs. The most common expectation — held by 32 per cent — is that the dispute will drag on before an eventual agreement. But 40 per cent foresee a deeper rupture: either escalation with more tariffs (22 per cent) or a lasting breakdown in the relationship (18 per cent).
The pessimism extends to the future of the broader North American trade framework. After the U.S. declined to extend CUSMA at its scheduled review earlier this summer, only 17 per cent of Canadians believe the agreement will ultimately be renewed or updated while maintaining a close trading relationship.
