In a time when economic uncertainty and shifting trade policies dominate the headlines, Americans are increasingly aware of how global decisions might hit close to home.
To better understand public sentiment around tariffs and their potential impact, MX8 Labs fielded a comprehensive survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, with data weighted to be nationally representative. From media trust to spending habits, the results offer a revealing look at how the current tariff situation is shaping consumer perceptions and behavior. This report highlights several of the key findings.
Most People Understand What Tariffs Are — And They’re Worried
A full 90% of respondents correctly identified tariffs as taxes on imported goods, and 62% feel confident they understand how tariffs impact daily life.
75% are worried that tariffs will make everything more expensive, and 69% think companies may use them as an excuse to raise prices unnecessarily.
18% are already spending less in their day-to-day lives due to tariffs.
A Majority Feel That Media Coverage Is Politicized, But Fair
60% of respondents believe the media is “somewhat” or “definitely” politicizing tariffs to benefit one political party over another.
But that doesn’t seem to turn off a majority, because 56% say that the media coverage is "somewhat fair" or “very fair.”
The most common sources for tariff-related information are TV news (54%) and online news websites (40%). Social media is a source for 33%, while podcasts and government websites are less common at 14% and 12%, respectively.
Top TV channels that people watch for tariff information include the major broadcast networks (26%), Fox News (24%) and CNN (16%).
39% use Facebook for tariff-related updates, and that share jumps to 64% for people over the age of 65.
Consumer Perceptions of Tariffs and Product Impact
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 also be affected, with hospitals and providers already bracing for impact.
A Few Demographic-Specific Highlights
Younger Americans Lag in Tariff Awareness
- While the majority (90%) of all surveyed respondents correctly identified tariffs as taxes on imported goods, that share dropped to 76% for people aged 18 to 24.
- By comparison, 94% of respondents 45-54 and 95% of respondents 55-64 correctly identified tariffs as taxes on imported goods.
Partisan Split on Media Fairness
76% of Republicans believe media outlets are politicizing tariffs to benefit one party over another, compared to 48% of Democrats.
When asked about the fairness of tariff coverage, just 38% of Republicans said it was “somewhat” or “very fair,” while 78% of Democrats said the same.
Overall, 60% of Americans believe there is at least some political bias in how tariffs are covered.
Women, Older Consumers Willing to Pay More for American-Made
● While 54% of overall respondents still turn to television news for tariff-related information, younger consumers are going elsewhere: Only 39% of people aged 18 to 24
- Nearly half (46%) of women are willing to pay up to 5% more for American-made products, compared to the overall average of 38%.
- Meanwhile, 40% of respondents over 65 said they’re willing to pay 6% to 10% more, compared to just 27% across all age groups.
Younger Generations Go For Digital Sources Over TV
- While 54% of overall respondents still turn to television news for tariff-related information, younger consumers are going elsewhere: Only 39% of people aged 18 to 24said they rely on TV news, and that figure dips further to 33% among the 25 to 34 cohort.
- 56% of the youngest group uses online news websites for tariff information (vs. 40% overall), while 42% of the 25–34 demographic prefers social media (compared to 33% overall).
Want More Tariff Insights?
This report is just a sample of the insights that came from the survey on tariffs — for more information, or to get additional demographic data around tariffs, reach out to us!