China Closes Trust Gap with U.S. in Central, Eastern Europe

SINGAPORE, Oct 14, 2025 — China is rapidly narrowing the consumer trust gap with the United States across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), according to the Rothman Consumer Reputation Index 2026.

The survey of 12,000 consumers found that trust in the four most reputable Asian countries — China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea — has strengthened sharply over the past five years. Western Europe’s reputation remains stable, but U.S. trust levels have fallen dramatically.

Japan overtook France and the United States to become the second‑most trusted country brand behind Germany, and in Poland, it now ranks first with a score of 7.5, ahead of Germany’s 7.0 — the first time an Asian country has topped a national ranking in the region.

Trust gap closing

China’s trust score rose by 0.63 points since 2021, matching the decline in U.S. reputation, narrowing their gap from 2.0 points to just 0.74. Singapore and South Korea also posted strong gains, rising 0.66 and 0.72 points respectively.

In Austria, all four Asian economies now outscore the United States, while Singapore leads in Central Europe — Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Slovenia — with scores above 6.

The survey confirms that country of origin remains a stronger purchase driver than brand or online reviews: 59% of consumers say “made in” labels influence their choices, compared with 55% for reviews and 50% for brand names. Price remains the top factor at 86%.

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