HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Alabama's Democratic Sen. Doug Jones criticized President Donald Trump's escalating trade war with China on Tuesday, hinting at bipartisan congressional action to check the president as his state becomes more exposed to the crossfire between Washington and Beijing.

"I think Alabama is not just in a unique position, but we are in a very vulnerable position with both manufacturing and farming, we cannot overlook the impact that this is having on farmers up and down the state from one end to another," Jones told CNBC on the sidelines of the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville.

"If this doesn't change soon, I think Congress may end up acting. There's bills that I've got pending with Senator Alexander and Senator Portman and I think if this doesn't end soon, Congress is going to start stepping in more than they have in the past," he added.

The ongoing trade war between the world's two largest economies took more anxious turns this week, resulting in market volatility. China, which has already put retaliatory tariffs on a range of U.S. crops, dealt another blow to the American farm industry Monday when it said it would stop purchasing U.S. agricultural products. U.S. stock indexes stabilized Wednesday, as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq inched higher while the Dow Jones industrial average fell slightly.

On Tuesday, White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow offered reassurance, telling CNBC that there's still an opportunity for negotiation.

"The reality is we would like to negotiate," Kudlow said, adding that the president has said "if you make a good deal, maybe he'll be flexible on the tariffs."

In June, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Japan to restart negotiations and not impose new tariffs on each other's goods. Trade talks collapsed in May, with intellectual property theft proving to be a major sticking point between the two parties.

Jones said the trade conflict has created uncertainty for key industries. Mercedes, Honda and Hyundai operate assembly plants in the state, while Mazda and Toyota are building a joint assembly plant in Alabama, according to the state's Department of Commerce.