Would you pay more for US-made toys? What a poll found after Trump doll comments
About four in 10 Americans say they would be willing to pay more for toys manufactured in the U.S., according to new polling.
In a YouGov survey, a plurality of respondents, 42%, said if a U.S.-made toy is more expensive than a similar foreign-made toy, they would be more likely to buy the American-made option.
Meanwhile, a far smaller share, 28% said they’d choose the imported option, and 30% said they were not sure.
The poll — which sampled 9,630 U.S. adults May 1-2 — revealed significant partisan differences, with 61% of Republicans saying they’d pay more for a domestically manufactured toy, while just 34% of Democrats and 35% of independents said the same.
It comes after President Donald Trump said American toy consumption could change as a result of his wide-ranging tariffs — and particularly his 145% tariff on China, which manufactures most toys sold in the U.S., according to The Associated Press.
“Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls,” Trump said during an April 30 Cabinet meeting. “And maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally.”
Addressing the president’s comments, White House aide Stephen Miller told reporters on May 1, “He was making the point that I think almost every American consumer agrees with.”
If someone had to choose between a doll made in China and a higher-quality doll made in the U.S., “you’d probably be willing to pay more for a better-made American product,” Miller said, according to The Hill.
The poll found that many — but not most — Americans do indeed believe U.S.-made products are of superior quality.
Thirty-seven percent of respondents said toys manufactured in the U.S. are generally of higher quality than imported toys, and 37% said they’re about the same quality. Meanwhile, just 7% said U.S.-made toys are lower quality, and 20% said they weren’t sure.
Most Republicans, 52%, said American-made toys are generally better quality, while 30% of Democrats and 31% of independents said the same.
The poll — which has a margin of error of 1.2 percentage points — also asked respondents how Trump’s tariffs would affect the cost of toys.
A strong majority, 67%, said they believe toys sold in the U.S. will increase in cost, while 13% said they’ll stay the same and just 4% said they’ll decrease.
Here, there was agreement across the political spectrum, with majorities of Democrats (80%), independents (65%) and Republicans (55%) saying prices will increase as a result of the president’s tariffs.
This story was originally published May 5, 2025 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Would you pay more for US-made toys? What a poll found after Trump doll comments."