Is "Eskimo" a universally offensive term?
There are at least two different types of Eskimo: Inuit and Yupik. In Canada and Greenland, the only type of Eskimo is the Inuit. However in the United States, both types are present and in Russia, only the Yupik are present. So, Eskimo couldn't really mean anything other than Inuit in Canada whereas in Alaska it could very well be referring to either. In Russia, it could only mean the Yupik.
The point is that Eskimo is a more general word than Inuit. All Inuit are Eskimos but not all Eskimos are Inuit. The two words aren't synonyms.
According to Wikipedia, the term is offensive in Canada and Greenland and not elsewhere.
As a Brit with relatively little knowledge of English as it's spoken on the other side of the pond, I would use Eskimo.
- It has no negative connotations in Europe
- I've heard the term 'Inuit' and vaguely associate it with Eskimo, but I'd never use it actively.
To answer your question, at least from the British perspective, yes it seems that it's only derogatory in Canada; and this is due neither to ignorance nor apathy, to us it's the correct word.