Data: Tariffs, Products and Public Perception

Although it remains to be seen exactly how the tariff situation will shake out here in the U.S. one thing’s for sure: Many Americans recognize that tariffs could have an impact on their lives, to at least some extent. At a high level, rising costs are a major concern, especially since the U.S. gets so many products from outside the country. 

But here at The Measure, we wanted to dive deeper, so we partnered with MX8 Labs to survey 1,000 U.S. adults. The results revealed consumer sentiment and trends around tariffs on a variety of things, including what people think about tariffs as they relate to products specifically. A few highlights: 

• 26% of people perceived foreign goods as lower quality than American-made, and 36% said it depends on the product. On the flip side, only 10% said foreign products are higher in quality. 
• 44% of those surveyed agreed they would pay more for wholly U.S.-made products. In terms of how much more people are willing to pay, 38% said up to 5% more and 27% said 6% to 10% more. 
• When asked to select up to three types of products or services that are most impacted by tariffs, 59% said cars and auto parts, followed by electronics (46%) and food and beverages (also 46%). 
• Medical equipment was much lower on the list, at 15%, despite the fact that the health care industry will undoubtedly be affected, with hospitals and providers already bracing for impact. 

Interested in more tariff-related insights? Get in touch!