The color of international trade: How different racial attitudes affect public trade preferences

How do distinct types of racial attitudes influence American support for trade with different partner countries? Using two survey experiments fielded in the US, we find that beliefs about race color public support for foreign trade agreements, but the effect varies depending upon the racial attitude in question. Racially sympathetic Americans prefer pro-Black trade policies, being more supportive of trade with majority-Black countries. Racially antipathetic individuals, by contrast, do not hold pro-White trade preferences that entail higher support for trade with majority-White countries than other Americans—though they may favor anti-Black trade policies that generally disfavor majority-Black trading partners. And racially paternalistic Americans are more supportive of trade with all developing countries, whether majority-White or -Black. These results underscore the importance of disaggregating different racial attitudes when attempting to make sense of variation in American support for foreign trade agreements.