Pragmatism Over Patriotism?

Just over half (55%) of Canadians say they are willing to make personal sacrifices to support Canadian businesses, despite four in 10 (41%) agreeing that boycotting U.S. products is mostly symbolic and will have little economic impact on the U.S.

It’s been six months since Donald Trump returned to the White House, and Canadians’ trust in the United States remains fractured. In fact, it has now reached its lowest point since Ipsos began tracking public attitudes on Canada–U.S. relations through our Trump, Tariffs and Turmoil (TTT) syndicated study in February 2025. But something else is changing, too. While trust has eroded, raw emotion is giving way to a more pragmatic way of looking at the relationship between our countries.

Ipsos polling from our sixth wave of TTT in June shows the mood is stabilizing. Canadians are still wary of American influence, but they are also adjusting their expectations. A majority say they remain committed to supporting Canadian businesses, even if it means spending more – but there is a generational divide as we see price re-emerging as a deciding factor, and younger generations are balancing patriotic instincts with practical constraints. We call this group the price-first consumer.

So…. does the flag on your label still matter? Download our POV for detailed insights. Be sure to also check out our insights portal for more research from this study.