How Americans view Trump’s handling of trade and tariffs

Key Points:

• Nearly six-in-ten Americans (58%) lack confidence in President Trump's trade policy decisions, with 63% expressing little or no confidence in his handling of tariff policy, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in March 2026.
• Partisan divides are stark: 74% of Republicans trust Trump on trade policy compared to only 12% of Democrats, with older Republicans showing the highest confidence and older Democrats the least.
• Americans view trade benefits with China, Canada, and Mexico differently, with many believing China benefits more from trade (42%), while opinions on Canada and Mexico show a decline in those who think the benefits are equal and an increase in uncertainty.
• Trade data from 2025 reveals that Mexico overtook China as the largest source of the U.S. trade deficit, which reached a record $194.6 billion with Mexico, while the U.S.-China trade deficit narrowed due to significant drops in trade volume.
• Total trade between the U.S. and its top partners totaled about $2.4 trillion in 2025, down from $2.5 trillion in 2024, and the overall U.S. trade deficit increased to nearly $912 billion.