Poll: US tariffs on Chinese goods ‘too high’

Nearly half of surveyed United States residents said they believe that current US tariffs on Chinese goods are “too high”, and even though many of them remain divided over how much the US should trade with China, they still support working with the world’s second-largest economy on a range of practical priorities.

The survey report was published on Thursday by the Council on Foreign Relations in association with artificial intelligence-based research company Morning Consult.

Meanwhile, China has called on the US to revoke its unilateral tariff measures and refrain from imposing new ones.

“China is willing to engage in candid consultations with the US during the upcoming sixth round of China-US economic and trade consultations,” a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.

The remarks came after the US Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize US President Donald Trump to impose sweeping tariffs. Following the ruling, the Trump administration invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a temporary 10 percent universal tariff, later increased to 15 percent, for up to 150 days.

The survey, which was conducted on Jan 7 and 8 among a nationally representative sample of 2,203 adults, found that 49 percent of US adults believe that current tariffs on China are “too high”, while 6 percent consider them to be low.

At their peak in April 2025, US tariffs on China hit a record 135 percent, but they have since come down to an effective tariff rate of 24 percent as of January, the survey report said, citing Yale Budget Lab data.

Other sources, such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies, note that IEEPA tariffs against China currently stand at 20 percent for most products, but the US maintains several other sectoral tariffs that, in combination with the IEEPA tariffs, are estimated to stand at 47.5 percent.

The survey found that political affiliation significantly influences public sentiment on tariffs, with 67 percent of Democrat supporters saying that tariffs imposed on Chinese goods are “too high” and 46 percent of Republican supporters perceiving them as “about right”.

The poll indicated that Trump’s newly proposed universal 15 percent tariff is likely to clash with public opinion, because many people see tariff hikes as a cost-of-living concern. They expressed considerable anxiety about the potential consequences of further escalation.

Fresh tariffs of 10 percent came into effect on Tuesday, according to the US Customs and Border Protection. The Financial Times quoted a White House official as saying the increase up to 15 percent would come later.

Three-fifths of the respondents agreed that even a modest 10 percent increase in tariffs on China would hurt consumers, the middle class, small businesses, their own household finances and the broader economy.

Over a quarter of the respondents lack an opinion on whether the US should trade more or trade less with China, the survey found.

However, the survey further found that US residents are more consistent in supporting cooperation with China on specific problems, such as reducing global poverty, strengthening and modernizing manufacturing for mutual economic growth, and collaborating on global health research.

When asked about “joining forces to drive technological innovation that benefits both countries and the world” and “expanding educational exchanges and partnerships to foster greater understanding and opportunity”, 65 percent of the respondents expressed strong or moderate support for such efforts.

“This could be because Americans consistently favor easing tensions with China,” said the survey report.

The analysis also indicated that age is a primary driver of how China is perceived.

huanxinzhao@chinadailyusa.com

According to the poll, 38 percent of individuals in the 18 to 34 age group and 28 percent of individuals in the 35 to 44 age group described China as a friend or ally, compared with 23 percent of those in the 45 to 64 age group and 11 percent of individuals age 65 and above.

Chin Daily