‘Buy Canadian’ movement just as strong 19 months since trade war began: poll

The "Buy Canadian" movement remains as strong as it was 19 months ago when U.S. President Donald Trump initiated a trade war against Canada, according to a new poll from Abacus Data. In February 2025, 78% of Canadians expressed their intention to avoid American products, a figure that has remained virtually unchanged at 77% in September 2026.

Intentions are translating into action; more Canadians are purchasing Canadian goods, with the percentage jumping from 53% in February 2025 to 61% in September 2026. The largest shift is in travel plans to the U.S., which has risen from 32% in February 2025 to 52% in September 2026. Beyond travel, Canadians are also steering clear of American gas stations (from 33% to 39%), retailers like Walmart (20% to 26%), Amazon (21% to 26%), and American streaming services (14% to 20%).

The strongest adherence to the movement is among younger Canadians; those under 30 saw a slight increase in the percentage avoiding American products (from 31% to 32%). However, challenges persist, with 61% of Canadians admitting that purchasing Canadian-made goods would cost more, up from 60% in February 2025. The poll surveyed 3,000 Canadian adults from February 5 to 11, 2025, and repeated its questions in September 2026 with 1,479 respondents.