Catherwood LibraryILR School

While the U.S. experienced a $347 billion trade deficit with China in 2016, resulting in President Trump threatening to "level the playing field", eight states are hoping that the President continues a subdued approach in upcoming trade talks with China. The eight states - Louisiana, Washington, Oregon, Alabama, Alaska, South Carolina, West Virginia and Montana - experienced a trade surplus in 2016, with Louisiana at the top with a $6.8 billion surplus, primarily due to chemical exports from that state's refineries. Washington was close behind with $4.6 billion in surplus, largely due to transportation exports, suggesting its reliance on its largest private employer, Boeing. Meanwhile, four of the five most populous states - California, New York, Illinois, and Texas - experienced the largest trade deficits with China in 2016, with California's deficit five times the size of the others at $144.1 billion in imports, due to the state's reliance on imported technology consumer goods. Tough trade sanctions, however, would harm consumers and businesses if imported consumer goods cost more and businesses experience lower profits - if labor costs and supply issues arise with a return to U.S. manufacturing.