Economy

AAM Poll Finds Voters United Against Unfair Trade

September 24, 2018

Support for the Trump administration tariffs on Chinese imports extends across party lines to a majority of voters, according to a recent survey sponsored by the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a non-partisan partnership between American manufacturers and the United Steelworkers.

The poll of 1,200 likely voters in the November election showed that 63 percent support keeping the tariffs imposed on China or giving them more time to work. Only 29 percent favor ending the tariffs immediately because they are a “tax on consumers” and “are causing a harmful trade war.” Read more about the findings here.

Even among Democrats with an unfavorable view of President Trump, there are still pluralities who want to at least give the tariffs more time. A 47 percent plurality of those voting Democratic want to either keep the tariffs (19 percent) or give them more time (27 percent). Among Republican supporters, 49 percent want to keep the tariffs and another 28 percent want to give them more time, for a total of nearly 78 percent, the poll found.

Underlying this support is overwhelming agreement that the U.S. must be willing to get tough with China and other countries using unfair trade. By a 66-point margin (81 percent agree, 15 percent disagree) voters agree with the statement: “We must be willing to get tough with trade restrictions on countries like China who cheat in international trade.” Republicans are most broadly supportive (94 percent agree), but so do 70 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of independents.

“Candidates who speak out against the tariffs between now and the election will be out of touch with American voters. Majorities or pluralities of all persuasions—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents—want to keep the tariffs in place or at least give them more time,” said AAM President Scott Paul. “Even in this era of upended politics, pushing back against unfair trade practices is an issue that largely unites American voters.”