Most Americans prefer lower prices to paying more for goods labeled “Made in USA,” even when the cheaper goods are made abroad, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll released April 14, 2016.
Key findings
- Nearly three in four said they would like to buy goods made in the USA, but said those goods are often too costly or hard to find.
- Only 9% said they buy only USA-made goods.
- Asked to choose between $50 pants made in another country and an $85 pair made in the USA, 67% picked the cheaper pair and 30% the USA-made pair.
- People in households earning more than $100,000 a year were no less likely to pick the lower price.
- 46% said free trade agreements reduce jobs for American workers, 11% said they improve job opportunities, and 40% said they make no difference.
Context
The poll came as presidential candidates Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders campaigned against recent trade deals. The AP noted that stagnant incomes have pushed many households to look for the cheapest options.
Method
The AP-GfK poll surveyed 1,076 adults online March 31 to April 4, 2016, using GfK’s probability-based KnowledgePanel. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Source & credit
Source: Associated Press: “Poll: Americans prefer low prices to items ‘Made in the USA’”, April 14, 2016.
Also: WISC-TV3: “Moneywatch: Buyers prefer lower prices over ‘Made in USA’”.