Most Americans view Canada positively despite Trump tariffs and tensions
A new poll shows 79% of Americans favour Canadians, but only 45% of Canadians return that warmth toward Americans as trade friction deepens.
Sources · Angus Reid Institute
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Americans overwhelmingly like Canada, but the feeling is not mutual—at least not right now.
New data from the Angus Reid Institute finds that 79 per cent of Americans hold a favourable view of Canadians. But only 45 per cent of Canadians view Americans favourably, while 48 per cent view them unfavourably.
The split reflects the trade friction and political acrimony that has intensified during U.S. President Donald Trump's second term. Canadians are overwhelmingly negative on Trump himself—79 per cent hold an unfavourable view, including 69 per cent who say their view is "very" unfavourable. But Canadians have not extended that hostility uniformly to Americans as a people.
The attention gap may explain why the warmth is not reciprocated. A majority of Canadians (54 per cent) say they are following the tariff dispute "closely," compared to fewer than one-quarter of Americans (23 per cent). One in four Americans (25 per cent) haven't heard about the tariffs at all.
On both sides of the border, official sentiment diverges sharply. More than three-quarters of Americans (78 per cent) say the U.S. should approach Canada as a valued partner or on friendly terms. But a majority of Canadians now believe their government should approach the U.S. with caution or suspicion, as a potential threat or even an enemy—a dramatic reversal from 2023, when most Canadians saw the U.S. as a friend or ally.
Self-described MAGA Republicans are more likely to view Canadians positively (69 per cent) than not (17 per cent), suggesting Trump's rhetoric has not turned his base against Canada wholesale.
Tariffs threatened to take effect around August 19, 2026, have fueled much of the Canadian unease.
By the numbers
What percentage of Americans view Canadians favourably?
79 per cent of Americans hold a favourable view of Canadians, according to data from the Angus Reid Institute.
How do Canadians view Americans in return?
Only 45 per cent of Canadians view Americans favourably, while 48 per cent view them unfavourably.
What's the difference in awareness of the tariff dispute between the two countries?
54 per cent of Canadians say they are following the tariff dispute closely, compared to just 23 per cent of Americans, and one in four Americans haven't heard about the tariffs at all.
What percentage of Canadians hold an unfavourable view of Trump?
79 per cent of Canadians hold an unfavourable view of U.S. President Donald Trump, with 69 per cent saying their view is 'very' unfavourable.
