Survey: 46% of Americans Say They Support Tariffs and Buying U.S.-Made – Yet Shopping on Chinese Marketplaces Keeps Rising

 A new survey from ecommerce marketing platform Omnisend finds that 46% of Americans say they support tariffs, and nearly 60% say they would pay more for Made in the USA products.

Still, Chinese marketplace usage is rising year over year: the share of Americans shopping on Temu rose from 54% to 58%, Shein held near 49%, and AliExpress and TikTok Shop increased to 36% and 41%, respectively.

“Consumers can support tariffs in principle and still shop wherever they feel the best value in practice,” said Marty Bauer, ecommerce expert at Omnisend. “What the data shows is that shoppers are trying to buy American more often — but when budgets are tight, they also keep a foot in cross-border shopping. The deciding factor is friction: if shipping is fast, costs are clear, and returns are simple, consumers will follow the deal.”

Tariffs Are Reinforcing “Buy American” Intent – But Value Still Drives Behavior

While many Americans say they’re willing to pay modest premiums for U.S.-made goods, price sensitivity remains high.

The year-over-year shifts show that Chinese marketplaces remain embedded in U.S. shopping habits – particularly as shoppers feel price pressure across the broader ecommerce landscape. In the latest Omnisend survey, consumers report noticing price increases most often on Amazon (57%) and Walmart (48%), reinforcing the broader context of persistent inflation and pricing sensitivity.

At the same time, Omnisend’s data suggests the shoppers who remain active on Chinese platforms are becoming more selective. The leading reasons consumers reduced or stopped shopping on Chinese ecommerce platforms were:

• Prices increases (23%);
• Concerns about product quality (20%);
• Shipping became slower or less reliable (12%);
• Additional fees or duties at delivery (12%).

“Cross-border shopping hasn’t disappeared – but shoppers are less forgiving than they were a year ago,” Bauer added. “They’ll chase savings, but not if it comes with uncertainty. Tariffs and rising costs have made transparency and predictability part of the value equation.”

What Ecommerce Sellers Should Do Next

There are clear steps ecommerce brands can take to compete in a market where Chinese marketplaces are gaining shoppers – and tariffs are raising expectations:

• Compete on predictability, not just promotions. If shoppers are prioritizing faster shipping and fewer surprises, brands should make delivery timelines, tracking, and return policies impossible to miss.
• Lead with total-cost transparency. With import fees and surprise duties contributing to churn — and 25% saying tariff/fee reductions would influence their return — clarity on full costs is a trust builder.
• Treat fulfillment strategy as messaging strategy. The fact that 28% want U.S.-based warehouses/sellers shows how much fulfillment location influences confidence. If you have domestic fulfillment, say it clearly.
• Address quality concerns head-on. With 20% citing product quality as the main reason for pulling back, clear product specs, reviews, and straightforward return/refund processes become conversion levers.
• Use email and SMS to reduce uncertainty before it becomes churn. Proactive updates on shipping timelines, policy changes, and pricing shifts can prevent the “surprise factor” that drives abandonment and distrust.