(MENAFN) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged on Tuesday that a trade agreement with the United States could involve some tariffs, contradicting public opinion favoring a firmer negotiating position against the Trump administration.

A recent Angus Reid Institute poll released Tuesday revealed that most Canadians want Carney to adopt a more aggressive posture in trade talks. “For Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Canadian negotiating team, the approach appears to center on keeping their head down rather than their elbows up,” the survey stated. “Canadians appear to want to push back.”

The phrase “elbows up” is derived from hockey and symbolizes standing one’s ground, especially when defending in tight situations.

However, during a press briefing ahead of a Cabinet meeting on US trade relations, Carney said that achieving a tariff-free agreement seemed unlikely. “There’s not a lot of evidence right now from the deals, agreements and negotiations with the Americans, for any country or any jurisdiction, to have a deal without tariffs,” he noted.

This comes after US President Donald Trump announced last week that a 35% tariff on Canadian imports would take effect August 1 — the same date by which the two nations hoped to finalize a deal — signaling a potential impasse.

The survey indicated that 63% of Canadians support a hardline approach with no compromises in negotiations with the US.

Opinions on Carney’s ability to secure a favorable deal were almost evenly divided, with 46% expressing confidence and 45% skeptical.

The Angus Reid Institute conducted the poll between July 9 and 13, surveying 1,697 Canadians.

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