Half of Britons think Britain should prioritise closer trade relationship with the EU, even if it means increasing trade barriers with the US

A new Ipsos in the UK poll reveals that half (51%) of Britons think that Britain should prioritise a closer trade relationship with the EU, even if it means increasing trade barriers with the US. This is up from 42% in March, suggesting that US tariffs have impacted perceptions of Britain’s trade landscape.

EU continues to be seen as Britain’s most important trade partner, with China entering the conversation

• EU increasingly seen as most important trade partner: 43% of Britons now consider the EU as Britain's most important trade partner, up from 37% in November 2024. This perception has grown across all voting groups, although Reform UK voters still lean towards the US (30% EU, 40% US). Looking ahead five years, 39% of Britons think that the EU will still be Britain’s most important trading partner.

• US trade prioritisation declines: Half (51%) of Britons now think that Britain should prioritise building a closer trade relationship with the EU, even if it means increasing barriers to trade with the United States. This is up significantly from 42% in March, demonstrating the impact of US tariffs on public perception (although it is important to note that fieldwork was completed before the announcement of a US-UK tariff deal on 09 May). 
• China begins to enter the conversation: The public is evenly split on whether Britain should prioritise a closer trade relationship with China (32%) or the US (31%), with a substantial portion (38%) expressing no preference.

Impact of tariffs 

• Impact of US tariffs: A majority of Britons continue to believe that US tariffs will negatively impact various aspects of the global and UK economies, as well as British businesses. However, fewer people now believe the tariffs will negatively affect their personal finances (down 10% since April 2025), perhaps indicating an adjustment to the new trade landscape.

• Resistance to concessions for lower US tariffs: The public shows strong resistance to offering concessions to the US in exchange for lower tariffs (although it is important to note that fieldwork was conducted before the announcement of a tariff deal between the US and UK). Over half oppose lowering food or environmental standards or reducing taxes for US tech companies. There is slightly more openness to increasing US involvement in critical national infrastructure (21% support, 44% oppose) and the NHS (20% support, 47% oppose), though opposition still outweighs support.

Commenting on the findings, Keiran Pedley, Director of UK Politics at Ipsos, said:

The European Union is increasingly seen as Britain's most important trade partner by the public, including above the United States and China. In fact, voters of every single major party, including Conservatives and Reform UK, are more likely now than they were six months ago to say the EU is our most important trade partner. When given the choice, half of the public say they would prioritise building closer trade ties with the EU over the US, while just one in five say they'd prioritise the US.

Technical note: 

• Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,099 adults aged 18-75 across Great Britain. Polling was conducted online between the 2nd and 5th of May 2025.  
• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.