Global favorability ratings reveal a shift in perceptions, with China’s standing rising as America’s declines, a trend suggesting US trade policies may be inadvertently strengthening China at the United States’ expense, Axios reported on Monday, citing a Morning Consult report.

Declining global perceptions of the United States could lead to reduced trade and investment opportunities for American businesses abroad, as consumers may increasingly avoid their products and the employment prospects they offer, according to Jason McMann, head of political intelligence at Morning Consult.

Recent favorability data provided exclusively to Axios by Morning Consult shows a striking reversal in global perceptions, with China's net rating reaching 8.8 by the end of May while the US fell to -1.5, marking a dramatic shift from January 2024, when America's rating stood above 20 and China remained in negative territory.

The findings are based on net favorability ratings, calculated by subtracting the percentage of respondents with negative views from those with positive views, as Morning Consult surveyed adults across 41 countries, including Canada, France, Japan, Russia, and the UK.

Trump's presidency played a role

Global perceptions of the United States have undergone a significant decline since President Trump took office, reversing the country's largely positive reputation from last year, with Morning Consult's data showing that most of the 41 surveyed nations now hold increasingly negative views of the United States while simultaneously warming toward China.

Russia stands as the notable exception where US favorability has improved since Donald Trump was elected as US president.

China's net favorability rating had remained consistently negative since Morning Consult began tracking in October 2020, only entering positive territory following last year's US election. The most significant gains have occurred since March, including a notable surge after President Trump's controversial "Liberation Day" tariff announcements. 

"The reputational damage done by the Liberation Day tariff announcements has now sealed the deal," the Morning Consult's report states

US favorability saw a slight improvement earlier in May after President Trump agreed to reduce tariffs on China, as shown in the chart above, but this fragile progress was jeopardized when Trump declared on Friday that China had "totally violated the deal," effectively undermining the tentative diplomatic truce.