In the aggregate, American views on the relationship between trade and climate moderately shifted between 2024 and 2025. Americans became more intensely supportive of the idea that the United States should follow trade agreements, with the percentage that “Strongly Agree” with this position growing dramatically from 33 percent to 57 percent in a single year (Figure 2). Conversely, Figure 3 shows a 14-point decrease in the percentage of Americans that agree the nation should place a tariff on goods manufactured in other countries through more greenhouse gas–intensive means.
The changes in support for both ideas are likely the product of Americans’ generally negative experience with tariffs during 2025. But on the core matter of prioritizing greenhouse gas emissions in trade agreements, the American experience with tariffs in 2025 had more limited impact, with 75 percent of Americans supporting this prioritization in 2025 compared with 78 percent a year earlier (Figure 1).
Of course, aggregate results may mask changes that are occurring within political affiliations. Comparing the 2025 results with the results from a year before indicates notable shifts in intensity. Figure 1 shows that Republicans became much more likely to disagree with the sentiment that the United States should prioritize the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions when negotiating trade agreements, with a minority in agreement in 2025 (47 percent) compared to a majority in 2024 (74 percent). Democrats and Independents barely budged in their overall support, though the two political parties show a strong shift in intensity away from strong support.
By contrast, all three analyzed party affiliations became more likely to strongly agree that the United States should follow trade agreements (Figure 2). Republican support for following existing trade agreements was 70 percent in both 2024 and 2025. However, in 2025, more Republicans were likely to strongly agree. In 2025, 31 percent of Republicans strongly agreed (up from 22 percent in 2024), 18 percent disagreed (somewhat or strongly), and 12 percent were unsure. Democrats and Independents both shifted by large double-digit margins, strongly agreeing that the United States should follow existing trade agreements (77 percent strongly agree in 2025, up from 38 percent for Democrats; for Independents, 58 percent strongly agreed in 2025, up from 36 percent).
Some Caveats and Conclusions