Trump tariffs unpopular with majority, Reuters/Ipsos survey reveals

Most Americans anticipate rising prices in the wake of Donald Trump’s recent announcement of broad new import tariffs, a Reuters/Ipsos poll has found.

In the three-day poll, concluded Sunday, 73% of respondents said they expected prices to rise in the next six months for the goods they purchase regularly. Only 4% believed prices would fall, with others unsure or expecting no change.

Last week, Trump proposed the most significant tariff hikes in decades, imposing at least a 10% tax on imports from almost every nation. The decision sparked fears of inflation and recession, with many economists and investors expressing alarm.

57% of those surveyed said they opposed the tariffs—including 25% of Republicans. Support stood at 39%, while 52% agreed with Trump’s view that the US has been exploited by its trade partners.

Despite that agreement, 44% of respondents disagreed with Trump’s assertion that new trade barriers will revitalise US manufacturing.

The poll showed clear political divisions: Half of respondents, nearly all of whom were Republicans, agreed that “any short-term economic pain is worth it to make the U.S. stronger in the long term.” Most Democrats took the opposite stance.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online across the US and surveyed 1,027 adults. The margin of error is approximately 3 percentage points.