With less than three weeks remaining until the U.S. presidential election, about half of voters expressed that they do not support former President Donald Trump’s proposed steep tariff hikes.
According to a poll released by NBC News, 44% of respondents said they would be less likely to support a candidate who raises import tariffs to 20%. In contrast, 35% said they would favor such a candidate, while 19% said the tariff increase would not affect their choice of candidate. This survey was conducted from October 4 to 8 among 1,000 registered voters, and the margin of error is ±3.1%.
Trump, the Republican candidate for the November election, has waged a trade war through retaliatory tariffs during his first term and continues to advocate for tariff increases during his campaign. In a campaign video posted on his election website, he pledged to raise U.S. import tariffs, which averaged only 3.3% as of 2022, to 10% across the board, regardless of the country of origin. Earlier in 2024, he announced plans to increase tariffs to 20%, including a 60% tariff on Chinese imports. Trump also previously mentioned a 200% tariff on imported cars from Mexico.
Some experts have pointed out that tariff increases ultimately lead to higher prices within the U.S. economy. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican, Kentucky) stated in September, “I’m not a tariff fan,” emphasizing that “They raise the prices for American consumers.”
In contrast, the Democratic camp opposing Trump prefers targeted tariffs on specific countries or products, such as those from China, rather than universal tariff increases. In May, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. In an interview on Friday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen explained that they have imposed narrowly targeted tariffs in strategic areas, adding that some experts have recently argued that blanket tariffs are very harmful to economic growth.
