How Utah could feel the heat from the U.S.-China trade war
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President Trump's recent move to raise tariffs against China to 125% is certain to impact Utah business owners and consumers as China retaliated with 84% tariffs on American goods.
Why it matters: China is one of Utah's top five trading partners, according to a 2024 Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute report.
By the numbers: Utah's estimated value of goods imported from China in 2024 was about $2.7 billion, per the U.S. Census Bureau.
- And China was Utah's fourth-largest export market in 2023, according to the U.S. China Business Council.
Zoom in: The top goods exported to China in 2023 were metal ores, meat products, medical equipment and supplies, navigational and measurement instruments and pharmaceuticals. All told they had an estimated value of $1.2 billion, census data shows.
What they're saying: Amanda Stewart, founder of the clothing brand Mochi Kids, told ABC 4 she was halting plans to make new products and expand her business due to the tariffs.
- Stewart said her store carries products from all over the world, including China, and was told by vendors that their prices were increasing.
- In early April, Gov. Spencer Cox told reporters he was unsure of how Trump's tariffs would impact Utahns, but that there would "definitely be increases in prices," Deseret News reported.