Public Support for the USMCA
Author: Marie Sanderson, Senior Advisor
ALG Research recently conducted four polls on public views about the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), three in competitive congressional districts and a fourth in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. Below are some of the key findings:
- Citizens in these districts support the USMCA by at least a 25-point margin but about a third are undecided.
- Both the focus groups and polling found that views on trade, NAFTA, and the USMCA were soft and very malleable.
- Citizens who identify as Democrats are not opposed to the USMCA. A plurality is undecided while the rest are split. Independents support it by a nearly 30-point margin.
- Members of union households support the USMCA by about 20 points across all four polls.
- A majority of citizens support NAFTA, but they also think it is time that it be replaced with a new agreement. In focus groups, people were well-aware it had been around for over twenty years and felt it was time for something new.
- Trump’s support for the USMCA does not have a dramatic impact on views towards it. Less than half of Democrats say that Trump’s support makes it less likely for them to favor the agreement.
- After hearing statements from supporters and opponents of the USMCA, the public continues to support the agreement by double digit margins.
- Views on Trump’s tariffs are mixed. Citizens in IL-14 and Orange County are split, while those in NJ-7 approve of tariffs by a 7-point margin, while folks in PA-17 disapprove by 10 points.