15-04-2025
How tariffs on China could hinder Ohio's economy
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."
