Like Americans, Europeans show resistance to opening their markets to goods from low-wage countries. Europeans firmly favor their own system, over an American model, to protect workers, while Americans want their government to play a stronger role in helping workers adapt to the changes of globalization. British and French views were similar, though slightly less pessimistic. Germany and Italy were more positive. As discussed in the body of this report, when trade is presented as a choice between lower prices and the potential loss of jobs, a modest majority of Americans prefers restrictions on foreign imports in order to protect jobs.
European reactions are similar.
Others oppose restrictions because they lead to higher consumer prices. Similar to Americans' resistance to removing trade barriers to low-wage countries, Europeans have shown a resistance to opening their markets to goods from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. 14 Europeans firmly favor their own system of protecting workers over the competitive advantages of a US-style system. In a January 1997 USIA poll, respondents were presented two statements about the US model. As discussed in the body of the report, Americans are not entirely happy with the current American approach.