Churning out everything from cars and computer chips to nuts and wine, California's mighty economy will suffer big time if the US-China trade war worsens.
Billions of dollars and many jobs are at risk in the richest and most populous US state -- a world-class economy and bastion of opposition to President Donald Trump.
"If there's one region in the US that will be most impacted by the trade war, it's going to be LA," said Stephen Cheung, former director of international trade at the Port of Los Angeles and now chairman of an NGO called World Trade Centre Los Angeles.
Last year in Los Angeles-area ports, two-way trade with China totalled more than USD 170 billion, Cheung said.
"China is our number one trading partner," he told AFP.
The world's two largest economies have squared off in a tit for tat trade war that threatens to disrupt international commerce.
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"Our fear is that the cycle will keep growing to the point where it's going to depress the economy," said Cheung.
California boasts the world's fifth largest economy, with annual output of $2.7 billion, more than that of Britain.
The state of 40 million people is home to the powerful tech companies of Silicon Valley and the Hollywood movie and TV industry.
The state exports electric cars, engines, auto parts and aluminum, besides being the nation's bread basket.
Pistachios, almonds, oranges, walnuts, plums, lemons and strawberries are among the farm products targeted in Chinese tariffs imposed in retaliation for US levies ordered by Trump.
"Although we don't know the exact ramifications these tariffs will have on our crops, we do understand the loss of the Chinese market will result in other foreign suppliers moving into the marketplace, causing long-term lost sales opportunities for our farmers," said Sara Neagu-Reed of the California Farm Bureau Federation.
China was the third largest market in 2016 for California farm goods, after Canada and the European Union, with imports to the tune of USD 2 billion.
"We as growers are very concerned," said Holly King, head of the Almond Board of California. The sector exported USD 518 million worth of almonds in 2016. Now, the nut has been hit with a 50 per cent tariff in China.
For pistachios -- USD 530 million in exports that year -- the levy is 45 per cent.
Casey Creamer, executive vice president of the California Citrus Mutual, which represents 2,500 growers, said the organization's focus for now is on supporting the US government in the face of Chinese trade practices which "have been very bad for our industry."
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