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Survey: Republicans Support Trump on the Economy, not on Tariffs

Dec. 18, 2024
A Consumer Brands Assn. poll finds 90% of Republicans feel widespread tariffs will only hurt consumers.

While expressing “very favorable” feelings toward President-elect Donald Trump, 90% of surveyed Republicans are strongly against tariffs that are not targeted toward helping the next administration reach its goals, and they pose the risk of raising prices in households across the country.

Consumer Brands Assn., the main lobbying organization for consumer goods producers, today released the findings of a poll it commissioned by Morning Consult, which shows “voters support a more targeted approach that exempts ingredients and inputs that aren't readily available in the U.S. but are needed by domestic manufacturers,” according to today’s announcement.

“This approach could help the Trump administration achieve its core policy objectives of countering China and dealing with issues like border security without the negative impact of tariffs contributing to inflation at the grocery store.”

70% of Republican voters reported feeling “very favorable” toward the president-elect. 84% said the economy and inflation should be the top priority of the second Trump administration. Another 76% want Trump to quickly address the cost of necessities like groceries.

But tariffs are another story. 62% of respondents said they want products that cannot be grown or produced domestically to be exempt from future tariffs. 56% said they want products with limited domestic availability to be exempt as well.

“While goodwill for Trump is strong, Republicans do not want universal tariffs and believe consumers would get stuck paying the bill; favoring instead a strategic approach that protects U.S. manufacturers and national security while taming inflation,” Consumer Brands said.

“An overwhelming majority see an opportunity for the Trump administration to impose strategic – not universal – tariffs, guided by a conviction that trade policy should help achieve geopolitical objectives. They also strongly reject potential tariffs on U.S. allies.”

Read more here.

About the Author

Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.

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