On Thursday, the United States announced the introduction of so-called "reciprocal tariffs". According to an international poll published by CGTN television, the move was strongly criticised by a majority of respondents from around the world. Respondents described the US move as a unilateral coercive action that could provoke countermeasures from other countries and escalate into a "tariff world war" with serious consequences for the global economy.
The US says it is imposing tariffs because of trade imbalances and in an effort to reduce the trade deficit. However, 81.03 % respondents disagree and believe that such measures will not bring the desired result. They refer, among other things, to Donald Trump's first term in office, when tariffs imposed on key trading partners cost US consumers approximately $57 billion annually, according to the think tank American Action Forum.
More than 82 % respondents believe that US "reciprocal tariffs" harm developing countries and upset the balance achieved in multilateral trade negotiations. At the same time, 84.43 % respondents believe that this policy exacerbates trade injustice and seriously damages US credibility in the international arena.
Over 79 % survey participants identified the US measures as a violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and a new tool for promoting protectionism that exacerbates tensions in international trade.
9,600 international users took part in the survey on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms over a 24-hour period.
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