How tariffs on China could hinder Ohio's economy
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President Trump's ongoing tariff war with China could have a significant impact on Ohio.
Why it matters: The battle could raise prices for goods imported from China and hurt Chinese demand for goods produced in Ohio.
By the numbers: Ohio was the 11th-highest importer from China among states in 2024 with an estimated value of $10.6 billion goods, according to census data.
- China is also Ohio's third-largest export market of goods with more than $3.6 billion exported in 2023, including oil seeds and grains, aerospace parts, plastics and pharmaceuticals.
- Ohio's exports to China supported nearly 29,000 jobs as of 2022, per a report by the U.S. China Business Council.
State of play: Last week, Trump paused reciprocal tariffs imposed by the U.S., but kept 10% baseline tariffs in place while raising tariffs on China to 125%.
- China then responded by increasing its tariff on U.S. goods to 125%.
What they're saying: "We're going to see how this works," Governor Mike DeWine said last week following statewide protests over Trump's policies, WCMH-TV reported.
- "These are the president's decisions. He's made these decisions. We can only hope that, you know, this does, in fact, work and puts the United States in a better position, but the jury is still out," DeWine said. "We do not have a verdict on that, certainly."
The other side: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said the tariff policy lacks "common sense."
- "We can have the right approach as a country to ensure that our global trading partners work with us and support our global economic agenda. But an erratic tariff policy made and guided by no common sense is not helping the American people," Bibb said last week.