

It remains to be seen how easily the administration will be able to launch its latest tariff salvo. Dozens of U.S. business groups have expressed alarm at reports of the potential new tariffs on China of as much as $60 billion. On Sunday, 45 American trade associations representing some of the largest companies in the country warned in a letter to the White House that such tariffs would raise prices on consumer goods, kill jobs and drive down financial markets.



If the administration succeeds in levying substantial new tariffs on China, Beijing would likely retaliate by raising duties on American products sold in China.

The potential backlash from China could be painful. U.S. exports of goods and services to China supported more than 900,000 jobs in 2015, the latest data available from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Some 600,000 of those jobs were supported by supported by goods exports and 310,000 by services exports.



Among the biggest losers would be American farmers, who in 2016 sold $21 billion worth of farm products in China, the second-largest market for U.S. agricultural products.

Other industries that would be prime targets for higher Chinese tariffs include aircraft (with $15 billion in 2016 exports), electrical machinery ($12 billion), machinery ($11 billion) and vehicles ($11 billion).