Houston's district leads nation in China exports as trade tensions rise
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Texas is America's top exporter to China, and Houston's 38th Congressional District led all U.S. districts in goods exports to China in 2023, according to the U.S.-China Business Council.
Why it matters: Those trade ties are now caught in a fast-escalating trade war, with billions of dollars and thousands of jobs at stake.
Catch up quick: China announced last week that it would subject most U.S. goods to 84% tariffs in retaliation for Trump's 104% tariffs — which Trump promptly raised to 125%, then again to 145%.
- Trump paused reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, except those against China, which he blasted for retaliating.
State of play: Texas exported an estimated $26 billion worth of goods to China in 2023, the council says in its latest report.
- The bulk came from oil and gas ($12 billion), followed by basic chemicals ($2.9 billion), resins and synthetic fibers ($2.5 billion), industrial machinery ($1.6 billion), and semiconductors and components ($1.5 billion).
- The state's goods and services exported to China supported 89,530 American jobs in 2022, per the council.
Zoom in: The 38th Congressional District, which includes northwest Houston and stretches into Tomball, exported $4.9 billion in goods in 2023 — $4.5 billion of which came from oil and gas, per the council.
- According to the Greater Houston Partnership, China is Houston's biggest trading partner, with $9.7 billion in exports to China in 2024.
- 46 Houston firms operate 140 subsidiary locations in China, including American Bureau of Shipping, Crane Worldwide Logistics, Huntsman International, LyondellBasell Industries and National Oilwell Varco, per GHP.
The bottom line: If President Trump's recently announced sky-high tariff rates remain in place, many U.S. companies will no longer be able to compete in China's market.
Go deeper: What the U.S. exports to China.