Every other month, CFIB members lend their opinions to 'Your Voice,' a survey exploring a variety of current topics. The latest takeaways are showcased in a series of informative charts that summarize these findings.

Your Voice Highlights

April 2025

CFIB’s April 2025 Your Voice survey results send a strong and urgent message: small businesses are under intense pressure and are seeking greater predictability, stability, and relief. Amid rising costs and uncertainty, entrepreneurs continue to show resilience—but they cannot meet these challenges alone. They are calling for clearer government direction, smarter trade policies, and practical supports to help them compete and thrive. Here are the key takeaways:

Uncertainty and Rising Costs are Top of Mind

Small business owners across Canada are grappling with mounting challenges. Their top concerns? Economic and political uncertainty (56%), trade uncertainty (54%), rising operational costs (53%), and taxes (51%).

Tariffs Adding to the Pressure

Tariffs are compounding the financial pressure on small firms. Canadian retaliatory measures and U.S. tariffs on aluminum, steel, and goods not covered under the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) are having the broadest impact, while other tariffs are less widely felt. Meanwhile, China’s tariffs on Canadian agricultural and seafood products are taking a significant toll: about 39% of agri-businesses report being affected, including 25% who have been hit directly.

When asked about trade strategy, there is strong support for expanding trade ties beyond the U.S. and China, and renegotiating CUSMA.

Compliance with CUSMA Regulations

Understanding rules, determining origin of goods, and internal capacity (expertise and time) are the top CUSMA compliance challenges. For many, the complexity of the regulations makes it difficult to know where to start—but clearer guidance, training, and practical tools could provide meaningful support

Dive Deeper into the Numbers

Explore the interactive dashboard below to delve into the data from our April 2025 Your Voice survey.  You can filter the data by province, sector, business size, and age for SMEs across the nation.

Marvin Cruz

Director of Research

Explore more April 2025 insights and our extensive survey collection below.