Poll shows over 75 pct of Canadians back ending U.S. trade talks

OTTAWA, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- A vast majority of Canadians support the federal government's decision to walk away from trade negotiations with the United States, according to a recent poll.

The survey conducted on Aug. 22-23 by the Angus Reid Institute shows that 76 percent of respondents endorse the federal government's stance, with majority support spanning every province. Even among supporters of the main opposition Conservative Party, 53 percent agreed that walking away was "right" rather than accepting a bad deal.

Canadians also demonstrated strong backing for the government's plan to impose dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on Sept. 8, with 62 percent calling the counter-tariff scheme "about right under the circumstances."

Data show that 64 percent of Canadians believe the country will ultimately emerge stronger as Canada reduces its economic dependence on the United States, while 26 percent express concern about long-term damage to ties with its most important trading partner.

However, the survey also reveals anxiety over employment risks stemming from the trade dispute. About 13 percent of Canadian workers reported being "very concerned" about losing their own job, with an additional 25 percent expressing varying levels of anxiety.

Industry experts previously predicted that a no-deal situation would shave 0.4 percent off Canada's GDP and as many as 90,000 jobs. Enditem