78% of people plan to buy Canadian in response to U.S. tariffs: Poll

A buy Canadian movement has swept the country in the face of Trump’s tariff threat.

U.S. President Donald Trump temporarily paused plans to slap Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs and a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy.

The tariffs were delayed until at least March 4 in response to border security commitments from both countries. But Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States last week.

The threats have inspired a movement to seek out and buy more Canadian products.

As of Feb. 14, a majority of INsauga.com readers, 78.13 per cent (1,500) said in a poll that they want to support Canadian businesses. Just over 14 per cent said it would depend on price and availability, and 7.24 per cent said they would stick to their usual buying habits.

A recent Leger survey has similar findings. A majority of the 1,590 Canadians polled between Feb. 7 and Feb. 10, found 81 per cent have significantly increased how many Canadian-made products they buy, or will do so soon.

But only 28 per cent of Canadians told the pollster they have or will be cancelling their subscriptions to U.S. streaming services, compared with 34 per cent who say they will not be cancelling them.

About one in three people polled also said they are unwilling to stop making online purchases from U.S.-based companies.

But more than half of those polled — 56 per cent — told Leger they’re ready to cancel or avoid travel to the U.S. and 59 per cent said they are ditching U.S. alcohol.

Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish urged people to “buy Canadian” as part of a wide-scale pushback against Canada’s powerful neighbour to the south.

And B.C. Premier David Eby encouraged Canadians to think twice about buying U.S. products.

Some Canadian farmers are starting to see the benefits of a buy-Canadian movement, according to a CBC story. One farm has seen about a 20 per cent increase in sales compared to this time last year.

While buying local food can be as simple as driving to an area farm market, finding other locally-made products can be more of a challenge.

A website developed by Dylan Lobo, a 22-year-old digital media consultant in Toronto, offers some help. Made in CA lists Canadian-made products in many categories from clothing to furniture and kitchen ware.

With files from The Canadian Press and Declan Finucane