As tariffs remain at the forefront of economic policy, data from the NielsenIQ (NIQ) recent North America Tariff Sentiment Study reveals that most consumers are bracing for a long-term economic hit.
NIQ surveyed nearly 10,000 consumers across the U.S. and Canada in late March and found that:
- 61% of U.S. consumers and 86% of Canadians expect tariffs to negatively affect their country’s economy this year.
- The top areas of concern are essential categories, such as fresh produce, eggs, and dairy.
- Many consumers are adjusting their behavior—planning to dine out less, delay major purchases, or prioritize locally made products, especially in Canada.
The NielsenIQ study is the first in a four-part series tracking how consumer sentiment around tariffs evolves throughout 2025, providing timely insights as policy developments unfold.
“In the past year, tariffs have dominated the global conversation, even as consumers still face significant economic pressures. With a new US administration acting quickly on proposed tariffs, it’s critical to stay vigilant on consumer reaction to these shifts,” said the NielsenIQ report.
The report indicated that 87% of Canadians are not in favour of tariffs while that number is 50% for Americans.
When asked about the tariffs specifically, a majority of consumers in North America expect a negative impact on the economy throughout the rest of this year and continuing for the next three years.
61% expect a negative impact on the US economy the rest of this year; 33% extremely negative; 56% expect a negative impact on the US economy the over the next 3 years; 32% extremely negative
For Canada, it’s 86% expect negative impact this year, 79% negative impact next three years.
“Price concerns tied to tariffs are mainly on necessities across both USA and Canada Canadians more likely than Americans to buy domestic,” said the report.
“Made in” labeling is almost 2x more likely to drive a change in purchase behavior for Canada compared to the USA.”
The Nielsen report said delayed purchases are much more likely than expedited purchases.
“Shoppers in both USA and Canada are between 4x and 5x as likely to delay major purchases, rather than complete them before price changes due to tariffs taking effect,” said Nielsen.
“Americans are overall favorable towards purchasing US made products and somewhat likely to buy Canadian made products; this is a significant difference vs sentiment among Canadians.”
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 recent North America Tariff Sentiment Study reveals that most consumers are bracing for a long-term economic hit.){kind=link}
It’s odd that Canadians are expecting it to be worse than Americans. Our eggs are supply-managed. Although the price went up post-pandemic, it’s still possible to get them on sale at old prices. Very little of our food – real food, not the overpackaged, over processed stuff – comes from the U.S. We have plenty of options for clothing and household items from non-U.S. sources. If only our government would lift those tariffs on Chinese electric cars now.