Americans generally have favorable views on U.S. trade with foreign countries and many oppose raising tariffs on foreign goods. Three-quarters of Americans say they've paid higher prices as a result of Trump's tariffs. While more would prefer for the Supreme Court to strike down Trump's tariffs than to allow them to stand, a larger share of Americans think the Supreme Court will keep the tariffs in place than think it will strike them down.
What you need to know about how Americans view trade, as of the November 15 - 17, 2025 Economist / YouGov Poll:
- Americans are more likely to favor the U.S. increasing than decreasing trade with foreign countries (42% vs. 11%); 27% think the amount of foreign trade should be kept the same
- A majority (55%) of Americans think that foreign trade makes the average American a lot or somewhat better off; 15% think it makes the average American worse off and 11% think it has no effect
- Only 13% of Americans want tariffs on foreign goods to be increased; 47% would prefer for them to be decreased and 24% want them to be kept the same
- Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Americans say that Trump's tariffs have increased the prices they've paid either a lot (40%) or slightly (33%)
- Majorities of Democrats (92%), Independents (72%), and Republicans (56%) say they've paid higher prices as a result of Trump's tariffs
- The Supreme Court recently heard a challenge to Trump’s authority to impose tariffs. More Americans expect the Supreme Court will probably allow Trump's tariffs to stand than expect it will strike them down (42% vs. 25%)
However, more would prefer for the Supreme Court to strike down Trump's tariffs than to let them stand (49% vs. 33%)
- People who want Trump's tariffs to be struck down are divided in their expectations of what will happen: 35% think they will stand and 38% think they will be struck down. Two-thirds (67%) of the people who want the tariffs to stand expect they will stand; only 14% think they will be struck down
Image: Getty
