Public attitudes towards international trade in the UK

This article examines attitudes towards international trade in the abstract and specific free trade agreements (FTAs) in the UK context. Using evidence from two cross-sectional surveys (July 2019 and June 2022), our findings indicate that overall non-economic and contextual explanations are more relevant compared to economic explanations. We point to the context-specific relevance that national identity considerations have. While those with weak identity see advantages from an FTA with the EU, those with feelings of strong identity see advantages from FTAs with other countries. Remainers do not support international trade in the abstract, yet they find an EU deal advantageous. Individuals who think that the partner, as opposed to the UK, would have the upper hand in trade negotiations are more likely to see disadvantages with FTAs with specific partners. Our findings have implications for the study of attitudes towards trade and -more broadly- towards different aspects of globalisation.