Trade War: Tariffs Threaten California Industries

LOS ANGELES, CA — Retaliatory tariffs, a consequence of President Donald Trump’s trade war and another potential round of duties, disproportionately threaten parts of the country that propelled Trump to the presidency, according to an analysis by Axios.

According to the analysis, American companies that employ about 11 million workers are threatened by these tariffs. As Axios describes, “industries affected by the brinkmanship are mostly concentrated in rural, deeply red, already-struggling parts of the country, with political consequences for Trump and Republicans in 2018 and beyond.”

Bloomberg reported last week that Trump plans to impose tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports. The proposed duties would affect everything from selfie sticks to semiconductors, Bloomberg reported. According to the report, Trump wants to move ahead with the tariffs as soon as a public comment period on the proposal ends Sept. 6 and China has reportedly said it will respond with tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. imports. Axios’ analysis looks at both current and threatened tariffs.

Axios’ analysis shows that 1,510 industries in California are affected by current and threatened tariffs. The analysis shows that the tariffs affect 51 California counties, a minority of which were won by Trump in 2016.

According to Axios, the south will be hit the hardest. Los Angeles will be hardest hit in all of California with 229 industries affected, followed by Orange County where 156 industries will suffer and San Diego with 127 industries taking a hit. In the north, Alameda County is hardest hit with 87 industries expected to suffer.

Read more via Axios here.

Photo: Freshly canned beers move on an assembly line at Devil's Canyon Brewery on June 6, 2018 in San Carlos, California. New tariffs imposed by U.S. president Donald Trump on aluminum from Canada, Mexico and the European Union could cause the price of canned beer and soft drinks to rise. The 10 percent tariff could raise the price of a six-pack of beer by one dollar. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)