A majority of Americans in a new poll said that the U.S. and not other countries will feel the brunt of President Trump’s tariffs.
When asked about “the cost of tariffs on foreign products imported into the U.S.,” 54 percent of the respondents in The Economist/YouGov poll said they believe “mostly companies and people in the U.S” will feel their weight. Twenty-four percent said “mostly companies and people in the country exporting products” will suffer the consequences.
On Tuesday, the president imposed 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, and a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods. Trump cited irritation over the stream of fentanyl into his country, but experts have noted not much of the drug comes into the U.S. via its border with Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went after the Trump tariffs aimed at Canada on Tuesday, noting a Wall Street Journal editorial calling them “dumb.”
“Now, I want to speak directly to one specific American,” Trudeau said. “Donald, in the over eight years you and I have worked together, we’ve done big things. We signed a historic deal that has created record jobs and growth in both of our countries.”
“We’ve done big things together on the world stage, as Canada and the U.S. have done together for decades, for generations. And now, we should be working together to ensure even greater prosperity for North Americans in a very uncertain and challenging world.”
The following day, Trump unveiled a monthlong exemption on tariffs against its northern and southern neighbors for cars in the wake of a meeting with the U.S.’s three major automakers.
The Economist/YouGov poll also found that most respondents, 68 percent, said they believe “increasing tariffs on foreign goods imported into the U.S. generally” results in prices rising. Eight percent said raising tariffs on foreign goods imported into the U.S. generally results in “no effect on prices.”
The Economist/YouGov poll took place March 1-4, featuring 1,638 participants and a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.
