‘Buy Canadian’ sentiment still strong as Trump ends trade talks again

CITY news halifax / By Natasha O’Neill

New numbers from Narrative Research are showing Canadians are not backing down or bowing to the trade pressure from the United States.

According to the study published Oct. 21, the research company found that the “buy Canadian” sentiment is still extremely strong across the country, even though no tariff deals seem to be in the works after President Donald Trump slammed Ontario’s premier for anti-tariff ads the government bought to air in the U.S.

“We’ve really been watching because many times trends fade with time, but what we’re seeing is that the buy Canadian sentiment is sticking. It’s clearly enduring,” Margaret Brigley, CEO and Partner at Narrative Research, told The Todd Veinotte Show.

In the poll, conducted between Oct. 7 and 9, gathering responses from 1,230 Canadians, the numbers indicate the majority of people are willing to buy items from Canada rather than the U.S.

The survey asked whether people would choose groceries that cost $120 with all the food coming from Canada or groceries that cost $100, knowing some items came from the States.

Results from Narrative Research show Canadians are not backing down.

“Resoundingly Canadians say they would pick the more expensive of basket,” Brigley said.

About 76 per cent of respondents said they would pay the extra money to ensure the products are Canadian. To push the theory further, Narrative Research posed the question with even higher prices: $140 for Canada-only groceries and $100 for some being from the U.S.

And again, 70 per cent of respondents said they would pay more for the groceries.

“What’s so remarkable here is that across the country, results were incredibly consistent,” Brigley said. “It didn’t matter which region you were in, and it was consistent regardless of household income, so even those who were less likely to be able to afford it still had that same resilience or commitment.”

The latest in the trade war

Trump is accusing Canada of trying to influence an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on his global tariff regime with the ads, which feature former U.S. president Ronald Reagan speaking about tariffs.

“The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs,” Trump said in a late-night post on his Truth Social platform. “They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts.”

“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”

The Ontario government paid about $75 million for the ads to air across multiple American television stations using audio and video of former president Reagan speaking about tariffs in 1987.

On Thursday, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute posted on social media that the ads misrepresent the president’s address and said Ontario did not seek or receive permission to “use and edit the remarks.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office said in a statement in response to the Reagan Foundation that the commercial uses an unedited excerpt from one of Reagan’s public addresses, which is available through public domain.

With files from CityNews’ John Marchesan and Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press.