Americans Disapprove of Across-the-Board Tariffs, CNBC Survey Reveals

Public Opinion on Tariffs

• 📊 49% of Americans surveyed believe across-the-board tariffs are a bad idea, with 45% feeling strongly about this negative sentiment.
• 📉 Conversely, only 35% view tariffs as a good idea, and they do not feel as strongly about their positive stance.
• 🤷 15% of respondents remain unsure about the impact of tariffs.

Demographic Breakdown of Tariff Sentiment

• 😠 Democrats, African-Americans, young people, and urban dwellers express the most negative views on tariffs.
• 👍 Republicans show a more positive inclination, though less so than their general approval of the president.
• 👨‍💼 Rural Americans, individuals earning over $100,000, and men aged 50+ are more likely to hold positive views on tariffs.

Perceived Economic Impacts

• 💸 Majorities believe tariffs negatively impact importers, the cost of everyday goods, the overall economy, and individual workers.
• 🏭 The only area where a majority sees a positive impact is for companies producing goods in the US, with a 51% to 37% margin.

Views on International Economic Relations

• 🤝 Americans are generally positive about economic opportunities with Mexico, Japan, Canada, the EU, and the UK.
• 🇨🇳 Only China is viewed as an economic threat, but by a narrow 9-point margin, indicating a general perception of these countries as opportunities rather than threats.

Implications for Investors

• 📈 The survey highlights that public sentiment and market sentiment are aligned against tariffs.
• 🤔 A key question remains regarding what factors are constraining and guiding the president's decisions on tariffs and their economic outlook.