Many Americans Have Lost Track of Trump’s Tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump has once more postponed the start date of a widespread package of so-called “reciprocal” tariffs, with the new deadline set for August 1. The tariffs were initially announced back in April, with a 90-day window intended to give countries time to negotiate. The new, smaller time frame is adding urgency.

Amid the uncertainty, a new poll by The Economist and YouGov shows that many U.S. adults are losing track of which tariffs have actually been implemented. Where 30 percent of respondents said they are unsure of how many tariffs earlier announced by Trump have been enacted, 33 percent of respondents said that they believe few or none have gone into effect, while 15 percent said they think about half of them have and 21 percent say all of them or most have. Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say that they thought a lot of the tariffs had come into force, while the opposite was true in terms of the perception that few have been.

The survey also found that 40 percent of Americans would prefer for tariffs on foreign goods to be decreased compared to 20 percent who say they think tariffs should be increased, as 22 percent said they would prefer for them to be kept the same.