Trump’s trade war with China

In the New America, things change fast, and this past week has been no exception.

The tariff tiff continues. President Donald Trump revised his tariffs following Liberation Day and has honed in on what remains of the trade relationship with China. He’s raised tariffs on China multiple times this past year, with rates now reaching 145%.

Where do consumers and everyday Americans stand on the back-and-forth as China and the United States up the ante on tariffs?

Below are five charts on how Americans feel about tariffs, trade, and China.

1. The talk around town. Since the beginning of the year, tariffs have shot up across the board, but especially on China. This news isn’t just staying in policy wonk circles. Decisive majorities of Americans—over four in five—are familiar with President Trump announcing new tariffs. A nearly equal share care about this issue too.
2. Tariffs divide. Less than half of Americans support tariffs, but support is unsurprisingly divided across partisan lines. Two Americas: one red, one blue.
3. Trade disconnect. Americans largely believe we should put tariffs on countries taking advantage of the system. The disconnect comes on whether or not the U.S. is being taken advantage of. Most Republicans say yes; most Democrats say no.
4. Higher tariffs on China? Last October, Americans were just as likely to support 60% tariffs on China as they were to support 10-20% tariffs on all goods imported to the U.S. Of course, this rate is less than half of the 145% tariffs that Trump has now placed on China. But the underlying support for harsher tariffs on China is not new.
5. Low favorability of China. Compared to the U.S.’ other major trade partners, Americans have a far less favorable view of China. This affects how Americans view Trump’s China tariffs. From a political perspective, the conflict Trump wants is with China – not the rest of the world.

There is a lot of uncertainty as the public absorbs the latest twists and turns on trade and tariffs; this is a story that towers over everything else.

Opinion toward tariffs and China is sour, but not everything is as it seems. As is the case in the New America, opinion is nuanced and complicated. How does this play out for Americans? Watch this space to see how opinion evolves.