More than half of Canadians are avoiding buying American goods, poll finds

More than half of Canadians now actively avoid buying American products, a new national survey by Abacus Data revealed. The September poll reported that 51 percent of Canadian shoppers steer clear of U.S. goods when possible, up from 38 percent in February 2025 when tariff threats first surfaced. Overall, 77 percent of respondents say they intend to purchase as few American items as possible, a level of resistance that has remained steady over the past 19 months.

The shift follows escalating trade friction between Washington and Ottawa. Washington recently imposed an import ban on roughly $1 billion of Canadian goods, including dairy, motorcycles and alcohol, in response to 50 percent tariffs announced by President Donald Trump earlier this summer. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney retaliated with matching counter‑tariffs and stated that the price of accessing the U.S. market would rise. Carney also outlined a goal to double non‑U.S. commerce within a decade while seeking deeper trade links with the European Union, India and China.

U.S. consumers are also feeling the effects. A forthcoming Customs and Border Protection rule suspending the $800 duty‑free de‑minimis exemption threatens to disrupt the purchase of lower‑cost prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies. Critics warn that new fees, bond requirements and existing tariffs could raise prices for vital medications. Susan Hooper, a 75‑year‑old Ohio resident who relies on Canadian prescriptions for asthma, said the cost of one medication rose from $85 to $141 after tariffs were applied.

Canadian grocery retailers face changing consumer demands. Seven in ten respondents want stores to remove American goods entirely, while 89 percent want clear labeling on domestic items and 87 percent want expanded stock of Canadian and non‑U.S. alternatives. Yet 61 percent of Canadians still believe domestic alternatives cost more than similar American items, and fewer than half can reliably identify whether brands on supermarket shelves are Canadian‑owned.

The trend is not limited to Canada. A Bloomberg and Morning Consult study found that consumers in 13 European and Asian countries are spending less on U.S. brands than five years ago. Malaysia saw the largest drop at 55 percent, followed by France (47 percent), China (46 percent), South Korea (43 percent) and Singapore (42 percent). American fast‑food and coffee chains experienced the largest global declines, with 60 percent of respondents in the U.K., China and Indonesia cutting back in those sectors; Germany reported a 59 percent drop and France 57 percent. In Germany, 56 percent of consumers said a political change would encourage them to resume buying U.S. brands, followed by 47 percent in the U.K.