American views of President Trump’s performance on trade are divided along party lines, but a large majority say that trade is good for the US economy, consumers, and job creation.
Key Findings
The highest percentages ever registered in this survey (since 2004) say that trade is good for the US economy (82%), good for consumers like you (85%), and good for creating jobs in the United States (67%).
Support for NAFTA is also at its highest level yet (63%), and a majority (61%) supports US participation in the revised Pacific trade agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Democrats express the most favorable views of these two trade agreements, while majorities of Independents now also support them. While Republicans as a group tend to oppose them, a majority of non-Trump Republicans support them, demonstrating splits within the party faithful.
Only four in ten Americans say that reducing the US trade deficit should be a very important goal for US foreign policy, though it is a higher priority for Republicans.
Seven in ten are concerned about a possible trade war with China; just over half are concerned about a trade war with Mexico. In both cases, trade wars are a greater concern for Democrats.
