American farmers won't be the only ones harmed if the U.S. enters a trade war with China. Ports and their surrounding communities, especially those on the West Coast, could face sagging revenue and layoffs if tariffs continue or if China imposes additional tariffs on U.S. goods, experts say.

“The West Coast ports are the most exposed,” said Christine McDaniel, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center.

The Port of Long Beach says half of U.S. maritime trade with China goes through it and the Port of Los Angeles. That number increases to 55 percent if the Port of Oakland in northern California is included.

Experts predict that a trade war will cause a reduction in the volume of cargo, which will lead to fewer jobs and increased layoffs.

“There’s tens of thousands of workers tied to these ports, and so that means less work for them, more layoffs, less hiring,” McDaniel said. “That has ripple effects through the employment market on the West Coast.”

President Trump, who has historically railed against the "unfair trade" relationship between the U.S. and China, imposed tariffs in March that affected Chinese steel, prompting China to impose a 15 percent duty on U.S. imports including fruits, nuts, and wines and a 25 percent duty on items such as pork. These import taxes went into effect this month.

Additionally, China and the Trump administration have issued threats of additional tariffs that have yet to take effect. In particular, China warned it was planning a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion worth of U.S. imports, including soybeans and beef.

“Any time you have policy that impacts trade, of course it’s concerning to port authorities overall,” Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach, told the Washington Examiner.

“We like to to say the Port Authority is an economic engine, not just for our region here, but for the nation as a whole,” Cordero said, noting that 1.4 million jobs throughout the U.S. are derived from the Port of Long Beach.

Experts say the jobs of those who are linked to ports, such as truck drivers, are also in jeopardy if there is a reduction in the volume of cargo moving in and out of ports due to a trade war, according to Jock O’Connell, an international trade adviser with Beacon Economics.

“There’s lot of people who aren’t employed directly by the ports or by the terminal operators of the ports, but whose jobs are fundamentally dependent on those ports doing business,” O’Connell said.

“To the extent that we lose those jobs, we seriously jeopardize the social fabric of the country,” he added. “So, that is what is at stake here.”

"Federal policymakers must recognize that an unnecessary trade war would do far more harm than good," said the American Association of Port Authorities, which represents more than 130 public port authorities in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America, including the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

“To ensure America maintains its status as an economic powerhouse, AAPA encourages the administration and Congress to consider the economic and employment impact on seaports and their surrounding communities prior to imposing trade sanctions on imports from other nations,” AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle said.

“Because trade supports all of us, AAPA is encouraging policymakers in Washington to work swiftly to restore market certainties and force paths to expand U.S. exports, rather than create new import restrictions,” he added.

Although AAPA will not comment on specific tariff actions prior to implementation, the organization submitted a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative concerning the importance of trade and port jobs.

So far, Cordero said the Port of Long Beach has not seen any impact from the tariffs that went into effect this month on goods such as pork and wine, but hopes the tariffs are temporary. Cordero also remained optimistic the U.S. and China could enter an arrangement so the port could keep doing what it was designed to do: move cargo.

“We’re hopeful that at the end of the day, there will be a balanced approach and an agreement by the two countries so that we can continue to move cargo,” Cordero said.

O’Connell said although it’s possible Trump could impose new tariffs that would prompt retaliation from China, he expects that a resolution will be reached before any new major tariffs are imposed.

“There’s likely to be some resolution of this before we see major new tariffs being imposed,” O’Connell said. “But I say that with the caveat that the president is entirely unpredictable.”

McDaniel said it would be better for the American economy if an agreement is reached as soon as possible.

“The sooner [Trump] can get to the negotiating table with Beijing, the better, because the longer these tariffs go on, the longer the uncertainty goes on, and the more harm they cause to the economy,” McDaniel said.