Slim Majority of Canadians (54%) Support Stronger Trade Ties with China

When it comes to where to pursue more international trade deals, support for pursuing trade deals with China is soft, with just over half of Canadians (54%) expressing support for closer trade ties and economic agreements with this country. However, these most recent results are a departure from data collected in 2020, during the “two Michaels” incident, which showed that eight in 10 wanted to rely less on trade with China. The current numbers reflect a growing recognition that Canada should diversify its trading relationships amid uncertainty in its relationship with the United States.

Besides general benefits to Canadians such as lower prices, Canadians prioritize human rights and economic opportunities in new trade deals. Economic opportunity, in fact, ranks above human rights when critical and very important are considered together. In contrast, environmental standards ranks second last in terms of being critical, tied with shared values when critical and very important are considered together.
 

Despite shared values being among the least critical aspects of any new trade deal, a quarter of Canadians continue to want to see the federal government pursue trade based on the shared values of democracy and human rights.

Nonetheless, around four in 10 (37%) Canadians say that we should pursue either selective engagement – leveraging trade to pursue human rights, or pragmatic trade – putting mutual economic benefits first. Only 16% of Canadians want Canada to follow the path of protectionism, the path being followed by the current U.S. approach.  

Finally, one in five Canadians don’t know enough to have a point of view.

All told, the data suggests that renewed interest in trade with China does not necessarily mean carte blanche in the way it is approached. What has changed is not Canadians’ values, but their tolerance for trade-offs to foster non-U.S. agreements. The challenge for the Prime Minister will be how he navigates the desire Canadians have for greater trade with the degree to which Canadians are prepared to compromise in order to do so.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between December 5 and 11, 2025 as part of our Trump, Tariffs, and Turmoil syndicated study. For this survey, a sample of n=2,001 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed online, via the Ipsos I-Say panel and non-panel sources, and respondents earn a nominal incentive for their participation. Quotas and weighting were employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos polls which include non-probability sampling is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 2.7 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error. Ipsos abides by the disclosure standards established by the CRIC, found here: https://canadianresearchinsightscouncil.ca/standards/ 

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Darrell Bricker, PhD
CEO, Ipsos Global Public Affairs
+1 416 324 2001
[email protected]

Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing nearly 20,000 people.

Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques. 

“Game Changers” – our tagline – summarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our rapidly changing world.

Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120, Mid-60 indices, STOXX Europe 600 and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).

http://www.ipsos.com/