While nearly half of Canadians approve of Prime Minister Carney’s handling of Canada-U.S. relations, they expect the upcoming Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) negotiations to deliver on key priorities.
OTTAWA, July 28, 2026 – As Canada faces a new wave of tariffs and the future of CUSMA remains uncertain, a new national survey from Earnscliffe suggests Canadians have been broadly supportive of the federal government’s approach to trade negotiations but are looking for tangible progress on protecting Canadian jobs and sovereignty. Younger generations, in particular, place greater emphasis on affordability.
U.S. relations and negotiations: Steady, but overall positive approval
The data collected over the past few months suggests that Canadians’ impressions of the Prime Minister’s handling of tariff negotiations with the U.S. have held steady. The latest survey, conducted in June to early July, indicates that almost half (48%) approve of his performance, while under a quarter (23%) disapprove and one-in-five (20%) remain neutral – almost unchanged from October 2025. When it comes to the Prime Minister’s relationship with U.S. President Trump himself, findings show similar approval levels, with 44 per cent reporting they approve, while 26 per cent do not – also similar to October’s data.
When asked about their perception of the status of trade negotiations with the U.S., respondents were more split on whether the Canadian government is moving the needle fast enough. Few (4%) said negotiations were ahead, while a third (34%) felt negotiations are where they expected them to be, and a similar proportion (32%) felt things negotiations were behind schedule. The remainder were either unsure (18%) or under the impression these negotiations were not worth pursuing (12%).
“These findings illustrate that Canadians have generally shown patience and support on the tariff negotiations overall”, said Hilary Martin, Principal, Opinion Research at Earnscliffe. “They seem to have tempered their expectations against the reality of dealing with the current U.S. administration. However, it remains to be seen if the latest tariff announcement will have a material impact on public opinion.”
Jobs and workers, sovereignty and costs: Canadians’ priorities for CUSMA
While Canadians appear willing to give the government some latitude in managing relations with the U.S., they have expressed clear expectations of what they want their government to prioritize during the CUSMA negotiations. Protecting Canadian jobs and workers (38%), preserving sovereignty (30%), and reducing costs (27%) are the top three priorities. Boomers – the demographic that also bolstered Liberal support in the last federal election – are the most likely to focus on protecting sovereignty (39%). Younger generations, who face more financial pressures, place greater emphasis on reducing costs, particularly Millennials (33%). Gen X are the most likely to expect job protection (41%).
“Over the next few weeks, there will be some pressure on the government to demonstrate how, after months of negotiations and several concessions, it remains committed to Canadian jobs and sovereignty – all while balancing a relationship that remains unpredictable,” added Martin. “To date, many Canadians seem willing to give the government some latitude, rather than compromise on jobs and key industries.”
About the survey and Earncliffe ePulse
This online survey, conducted and sponsored by Earnscliffe’s opinion research team, was in field from June 26 to July 12, 2026, and engaged a representative stratified sample of 1,512 respondents living in Canada 18 years or older who are members of Leger’s LEO panel (with an effective sample size of 1,474). Respondents had the option of completing the survey in French or English. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of +/- 2.52 at a confidence level of 95%. The data was weighted by age, gender and region based on Census 2021 data.
Earnscliffe e-pulse is a series of surveys monitoring current topics and taking Canada’s pulse at the intersection of politics and public opinion.
Earnscliffe is a member of CRIC and abides by the ESOMAR code of Market, Opinion, and Social Research and Data Analytics and CRIC standards, including the CRIC Public Opinion Research Standards and Disclosure Requirements. For question wording and data tables, please click here.