Photo credit: Andre Furtado/Pexels

A new IMI survey suggests consumer intention to “Buy Canadian” and avoid “Made in the U.S.” products is continuing a year after U.S. President Donald Trump began his trade war with Canada.

According to the latest IMI tracker, 63% of Canadian shoppers have purchased a “made in Canada” product this year, with that trend rising to 80% in February alone. The insight firm’s 2026 survey of 1,000 shoppers this month represents an increase over 2025 figures, when 51% of Canadians said they purchased a “Made in Canada” product.

The data shows that 35% of respondents agreed with the statement, “My interest and desire to ‘sample or experience Canadian Products’ since the trade and tariff wars has increased a lot,” with 29% saying it “increased a little.” And 29% concurred with the statement, “There are too few ‘Buy Canada’ messages – I’d like more from everyone,” while 12% agreed “I wish everyone would just stop with the ‘Buy Canada,’ it turns me off.”

Forty-three per cent of respondents agreed “There are just the right number of ‘Buy Canada’ messages.” The poll shows that prompts such as “Made in Canada,” “Canadian owned,” “locally made” and “employing Canadians in the community” continue to hold sway with shoppers (see below).

The market-research firm said “Elbows Up” cues are continuing to drive engagement and encourage purchase and that there are “no negatives” to patriotic messaging in 2026.

IMI recommends that brands lean into Canada Day efforts in the 2026 to 2028 period. Across demographics, there is currently a 17% increase in celebration intent in 2026 year over year, with 85% of 19 to 28-year-olds saying they will be celebrating July 1 compared with 82% for those and between the ages of 13 and 65.