Even with so much attention on tariff relief, it appears an overwhelming number of Canadians also want Canadian negotiators to push for more firearm safety measures in Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade talks.
“Canadians don’t really want to roll over in these trade negotiations,” said Nik Nanos, founder and Chief Data Scientist at Nanos Research.
A new Nanos survey conducted for CTV News reveals just under nine in 10 Canadians feel strongly that illegal firearm trafficking should be part of the conversation.
The poll asked: How important is it that illegal firearm trafficking be included in future Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade negotiations?
Sixty-eight per cent said it is “important,” while 20 per cent said it was “somewhat important.” Five per cent of Canadians think it’s unimportant, or somewhat unimportant, at four per cent.
According to Statistics Canada, the majority of gun-related crime in Canada is attributed to unregistered firearms. In July, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said the “vast majority” of traceable “crime guns” – 80 to 95 per cent – came to Toronto from the U.S. However, internal RCMP reports found most firearms traced by that force were sourced from within Canada in 2023 and 2024, according to The Canadian Press.
“Considering the perceptions and issues related to guns crossing the border and violence, I’m not surprised,” said Nanos. “Crime is an issue in Canada and the United States. But, the fact of the matter is, this could be a particular wedge issue that the Canadian negotiating team could use as part of a broader discussion.”
Residents of Ontario (76 per cent) are most supportive of the inclusion of illegal firearms trafficking in future trade negotiations.
Negotiations in Washington
Canadian officials are working against the clock in trade negotiations with the United States. But it appears with just days to go before a new round of punishing tariffs could be imposed on billions of dollars of Canadian goods, there might be progress at the bargaining table.
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc remained in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, a day after a roughly one-hour meeting alongside Canada’s Chief Trade Negotiator Janice Charette with United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
“Discussions remain ongoing, and we continue to engage at the negotiation table to firmly advance and defend Canadian interests,” wrote LeBlanc on X Tuesday.
CTV News has learned that both Canadian and U.S. trade representatives are aiming to present a layout of a trade deal to U.S. President Donald Trump days before the Aug. 19 deadline.
Last month, Trump signed an executive order to impost a new 50 per cent tariff on a range of Canadian goods – including wine, hockey sticks and cement – for what his administration is characterizing as discriminatory trade policies.
Trump has taken issue with provincial bans on U.S. alcohol, supply management on dairy, and certain tariffs and quotas on cars imported to Canada from the U.S. If the two sides can’t come to an agreement, the levies will take effect on an estimated $28 billion-worth of Canadian exports to the U.S.
METHODOLOGY
Nanos surveyed 1,104 Canadians, 18 years of age and older, from July 28 to July 30 as part of a hybrid telephone and online random survey. The margin of error for this survey is ±3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
