Most Americans View Foreign Trade as an Opportunity

Most Americans still see foreign trade as chance to increase U.S. exports and grow the economy, a Gallup poll has found.

Fifty-eight percent consider trade with other countries as favorable for the United States, the highest in more than two decades. One-third (33%) find foreign trade to be threatening, the lowest since the early 1990s.

Americans are feelings greater optimism about trade over the last two years following a period of apprehension from 2005 to 2012. During the recession, optimism about trade sank to 41% in 2008.

The findings, which stem from Gallup’s data from the World Affairs poll, coincide with President Barack Obama’s attempts to come to the multinational Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement.

Should the agreement pass, it would be the largest one in American history, beating out the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that was reached 1994.

The TPP involves a dozen countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, the United States and Vietnam.

It’s designed to enhance trade and investments between the partner countries, promote innovation, economic growth and development, and create jobs.

While it enjoys some bipartisan support, it has received resistance from Democrats in Congress, who are concerned about its effect on U.S. jobs and regulations.

The slight decline in the number of Americans who view foreign trade as a threat could reflect lower oil prices and a stronger U.S. dollar. Among those polled, 38% viewed trade negatively last year compared with 35% in 2013.

The percentage hit 45% in 2011, when Americans were evenly split on their thoughts about trade.

From 2001 to 2011, the number of Republicans that felt optimistic about foreign trade has been higher than the number of Democrats who felt the same, sometimes by as much as double-digits.

In 2012 and 2013, Democrats’ optimism about trade grew sharply, while Republican views dips. This year, 61% of Democrats viewed trade as an opportunity compared with 51% of Republicans.

Gallup’s data shows that attitudes about foreign trade can often relate to how Americans feel about the economy.

As a result, as the economy has strengthened in the past year, Americans’ worries about trade have diminished.

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