Canadians Pull Back From U.S. as Trade War Fuels Boycott of American Products

An Abacus Data poll released last week found that 71% of Canadians believe Prime Minister Mark Carney's government was right to suspend trade talks with the United States, despite the possibility of higher tariffs and greater economic uncertainty.

Canadians increasingly turn to domestic products and travel destinations as trade tensions with the United States intensify.

The survey was conducted among 2,022 Canadian adults from Aug. 21 to 26.

Meanwhile, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 20% of Americans support higher tariffs on Canadian goods, while 57% oppose them. Just 14% support President Donald Trump's move to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America," compared with 63% who oppose it.

Some Canadians with ties to the United States are also strengthening their connections to Canada. Sara Seager, a Canadian-American astrophysicist, is returning to Toronto to join the University of Toronto as a North Star Distinguished Professor.

She is scheduled to begin her appointment on Sept. 1, 2026, under a federal initiative aimed at attracting leading researchers to Canada.

Seager said that when she renewed her Canadian passport, she explained to officials why she was moving home.

"I explained how Prime Minister Carney is giving over a billion dollars to recruit top talent from all over, but especially Canadians, to come home to help Canada become more sovereign from the US in technology, trade and defense," she said.

Travel patterns are also shifting. Statistics Canada reported that Canadian residents made 5.5 million trips to the United States in the first quarter of 2026, a 10.6% decline from the same period a year earlier.

Spending during those trips fell 13.6% to $5 billion.

Ashley Chapman, chief operating officer of Chapman’s Ice Cream, said the family-owned Canadian company has been reducing its reliance on US ingredients since the first round of tariffs.

The company says it is on track to replace more than 70% of its US ingredients and components by mid-2027.

Dave Samojlenko, a 53-year-old programmer in Ottawa, said he had canceled subscriptions to US streaming services and was avoiding travel to the United States while Trump remained in office.

Megan Woodward, a travel agent based in Edmonton, said she had also seen a shift in demand for US vacations, with some clients preferring to spend their money in Canada or travel to Europe.