US tariffs on Chinese goods are creating 'irredeemable economic harm', according to a letter written by the heads of seven major US ports to President Donald Trump.
They highlighted that exports to China from Californian ports decreased by 30 per cent in 2018, while exports of wheat - grown across ten US states - have almost come to a standstill, reported London's Loadstar.
'The negative impact to these exporters will be long-lasting because they cannot easily find new customers outside of China now that existing ones are being lost,' said the signatories to the letter from the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Tacoma, Oakland and the Northwest Seaport Alliance.
They wrote: 'We support a balanced trading relationship with our global partners but are deeply concerned that the continued imposition of ever-increasing tariffs leads to higher costs on US businesses and consumers and loss of valuable markets without any long-term strategic benefit.'
The letter went on to say: 'Our farmers, ranchers, fishing industry, manufacturers and retailers are already deeply harmed by the tariffs and retaliation to date, and spreading and increasing the impact will make that problem worse.'
The letter also noted that: 'In California, export declines to China are seen in soybeans (down 96.9 per cent), grains (-85.5 per cent), glass (-86.5 per cent) and rubber (-74.9 per cent). Similarly, the Northwest Seaport Alliance and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport exports have declined, including potatoes (-16.85 per cent), hay (-49.93 per cent), skins and hides (-47.89 per cent), salmon (-47.71 per cent), cherries (-54.56 per cent) and fresh crab (-63.34 per cent).'
A study by the National Foundation for American Policy concluded that imposing all the threatened tariffs on top of those existing would cost the US economy US$77.9 billion per year.
WORLD SHIPPING
They highlighted that exports to China from Californian ports decreased by 30 per cent in 2018, while exports of wheat - grown across ten US states - have almost come to a standstill, reported London's Loadstar.
'The negative impact to these exporters will be long-lasting because they cannot easily find new customers outside of China now that existing ones are being lost,' said the signatories to the letter from the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Tacoma, Oakland and the Northwest Seaport Alliance.
They wrote: 'We support a balanced trading relationship with our global partners but are deeply concerned that the continued imposition of ever-increasing tariffs leads to higher costs on US businesses and consumers and loss of valuable markets without any long-term strategic benefit.'
The letter went on to say: 'Our farmers, ranchers, fishing industry, manufacturers and retailers are already deeply harmed by the tariffs and retaliation to date, and spreading and increasing the impact will make that problem worse.'
The letter also noted that: 'In California, export declines to China are seen in soybeans (down 96.9 per cent), grains (-85.5 per cent), glass (-86.5 per cent) and rubber (-74.9 per cent). Similarly, the Northwest Seaport Alliance and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport exports have declined, including potatoes (-16.85 per cent), hay (-49.93 per cent), skins and hides (-47.89 per cent), salmon (-47.71 per cent), cherries (-54.56 per cent) and fresh crab (-63.34 per cent).'
A study by the National Foundation for American Policy concluded that imposing all the threatened tariffs on top of those existing would cost the US economy US$77.9 billion per year.
WORLD SHIPPING