Majority of Canadians Support Free Trade but not with China

Canadians like free trade, but wary of China: poll

June 8, 2007 - 11:20 am

By: BRUCE CHEADLE

OTTAWA (CP) - A new poll suggests a majority of Canadians support the idea of free trade with most of Canada's major trading partners - but not with China.

The survey by Decima Research, provided exclusively to The Canadian Press, comes as Canada pushes for freer access to European markets.

Earlier this week, Trade Minister David Emerson announced a new free-trade deal with four smaller European countries.

"It is an important step for Canada in this world of international trade," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Friday in Heiligendamm, Germany, at the G8 leaders' summit.

The agreement with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland is the first new Canadian free-trade arrangement in six years. Decima's survey indicates there's a public appetite for more.

Fifty eight per cent of those polled said free trade with the United States has been a good thing, while 33 per cent disagreed. The support crossed all regions, ages and income groups, said Decima CEO Bruce Anderson.

Some 46 per cent supported free trade with Mexico, and just 29 per cent viewed it as a negative.

When asked about negotiating free trade with the European Union, 67 per cent liked the idea and 17 per cent disagreed.

But Canadians' free trade spirit was turned on its ear when Decima asked about negotiating an agreement with China. Just 28 per cent said they liked the idea, while 62 per cent were against it.

Anderson said the results indicate that most Canadians have come to the conclusion that free trade is to Canada's advantage, but the support is "pragmatic rather than ideological."

The skepticism about free trade with China was reflected across the country, including British Columbia, and was also shared by two thirds of respondents who characterized themselves as Conservative voters.

In Anderson's view, Canadians "are as capable of being risk averse as opportunistic in their consideration of free trade."

The question asked by Decima was:

"Some say that it would be in Canada's best interests to negotiate a free-trade agreement with China, because having free access to sell to the world's largest and fastest growing economy would provide huge opportunities for Canadian companies and workers. Others say that it would be a bad idea for Canada to have a free trade agreement with China because Chinese costs are so low that Canadian companies would suffer and Canadian jobs would be lost. Which point of view is closer to your own?"

The poll of just over 1,000 respondents was conducted May 31 to June 4 and is considered accurate within plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times in 20.

I don't agree with free trade for most things ...there are very few things which would qualify and that being resources which are so abundant and reproducable that it is harmless , such as wheat but not lumber .

China , I don't agree with because it undercuts everyones efforts to earn a living ...1 billion people need to eat and if you want to produce a product or service in the global market you are going to have to stoop to their level of competitive reason (Chinese are going to GDP for a loaf of bread long before a Canadian will work for $5.00 per hour ) ....also China is a means of business which allows people to charge 1000s of times what it costs to produce a product or service .So the freetrade thingy with China is a matter of opinion .The poll thingy is a farce as most are .

I wasn't given an option in your poll but since you asked it is "I don't agree with most freetrade"
Thanks for asking