Poll Shows Free Trade Support is Growing

A new poll by the Wall Street Journal shows an increase in support for free trade in the United States.  The growing support comes despite anti-trade sentiments by President Donald Trump and his removal of the U.S. from TPP, along with intent to renegotiate NAFTA.  The poll last week found that 43% of Americans surveyed thought positively of free trade between the U.S. and foreign countries, while 34% of respondents thought free trade hurt the country.

The results represent a sharp reversal from a similar poll from March of last year.

That poll found just 27% of Americans favored free trade, and 43% said free trade harmed the nation.  Increasingly positive views of the net benefits of trade came mainly from Democrats, as 57 percent of them said free trade helped more than hurt, up from 34 percent in 2016.

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