US, China in back-and-forth trade war. How tariffs impact Washington state

President Donald Trump delayed sweeping global tariffs against nearly all U.S. trade partners on Thursday, April 9, announcing a 90-day pause for most countries. However, the president raised the rates for imports from China to 125%.

The tariffs, which were originally announced on April 2, threatened to wreak havoc on the global economy, prompting dozens of world leaders to contact the Trump administration, leading to this pause, according to the president’s statement.

Trump originally imposed a baseline 10% tariff on all imports at the top of the month, with additional increases for select countries, including China. These additional tariffs were decided based on which countries the Trump administration found a “trade deficit.” This follows another set of tariffs set by Trump in March, in a move that targeted China, Mexico and Canada.

In the April 2 announcement, Trump raised the tariff rate on China by 34%. A week later, China responded with an 84% retaliatory tariff, prompting the additional increase from Trump, now at 125%.

An analysis by the Centers for American Progress estimates that tariffs could cost the average American household around $5,200 a year.

Tariff impacts on Washington state

How would tariffs impact Washington state specifically?

Washington is a top state for international trade, exporting the ninth-most of any state in 2024, which is well over $57 billion worth of goods, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. It imported over $62 billion in goods, according to the International Trade Administration.

Governor Bob Ferguson released a statement after the global tariffs were announced earlier this month, saying the measures will create economic hardship in Washington.

“The evidence of the economic hardship this will create for our country and our state – among the most trade-dependent in the nation – is plain to see, whether by stock markets in free fall, a ‘high risk’ of recession as a result of tariffs, rising prices for consumers, and new layoffs in the auto industry,” Ferguson stated.

Washington’s top imports from China

Trump’s sweeping tariffs impact all trade categories. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and reporting by AP News, the top imports from China across the country include mobile phones, computers and accessories, electric and industrial equipment, toys/games/sporting goods, clothing/textiles and car parts.

In Washington state alone, over $11.2 billion worth of goods were imported from China in 2024, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The largest import category includes toys, games and sport equipment, at over $2.3 billion. Only two other categories brought in more than $1 billion, the various electric machinery category at $1.49 billion and the machinery parts and nuclear reactor category at $1.09 billion.

Washington imported $917 million worth of assorted furniture from China in 2024, and $792 million in various footwear products.

Other top import categories from China to Washington include:

• Plastic materials - $650 million

• Iron and steel articles - $492 million

• Textile art - $420 million

• Miscellaneous manufactured items, primarily vacuum parts - $288 million

• Vehicles (non-railway) - $255 million

Washington’s top exports to China

Counter-tariffs from China will also impact the economy in Washington state.

Washington exported over $12 billion worth of goods to China in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than $4.7 billion of that was in oil and seeds and grains, mostly through soybeans.

Only one other category accounted for over a billion worth of exports - $4.6 billion worth of aircraft was exported, primarily civilian aircraft and parts.

Based on the United States’ top exports to China, this makes Washington a top trade partner with the country, accounting for large contributions of the total U.S. exports.

Other top exports to China in 2024 include:

• Cereal grains like sorghum, corn and wheat - $760 million

• Medical, veterinary and optic equipment - $320 million

• Meat, primarily bovine products - $229 million

• Wood, mostly rough coniferous wood products - $156 million

• Fish, crustaceans and mollusks - $138 million

• Various electric machinery - $138 million

This story was originally published April 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM.