Singaporeans shift spending from US to local and Chinese goods

They said that Trump's reintroduction of tariffs drove this overall sentiment.

Singaporeans are turning away from American goods and services following former US President Donald Trump’s reintroduction of tariffs on Asian imports, according to new survey data from Blackbox Research.

Nearly half of respondents (49%) say their view of Trump has worsened due to the tariff policy, whilst just 30% say it has improved. 

About 35% now hold a lower opinion of US companies and their products, with one-third reporting they have reduced their spending on American goods and services over the past six months. 

In contrast, more Singaporeans reported increasing their spending on Chinese and local products.

Only 18% of respondents say they plan to maintain their current purchasing habits for US goods. Meanwhile, 44% say they intend to avoid them moving forward.

When given a choice between US and Chinese brands in different categories, Chinese brands were preferred in several areas including household appliances, lifestyle experiences, and motor vehicles.

Domestically, sentiment appears to be stabilising. 

Ninety percent of Singaporeans say the country is heading in the right direction, and 89% are satisfied with current conditions. 

Economic confidence has also strengthened, with 86% rating national economic conditions positively and 57% expecting further improvement in the next year.

Personal financial sentiment has also improved. Eighty-two percent say their finances are in good shape, and 57% feel better off than a year ago.

The findings are based on Blackbox’s SensingSG quarterly tracker, conducted from 1 to 8 July 2025 with 1,520 Singaporeans and permanent residents. The full dataset will be available on 17 July.