‘Tariffs hampering LA reconstruction efforts’

Speaking on RTHK’s Hong Kong Today programme, RTHK’s San Francisco correspondent Mark Niu said the tarrifs were having unforeseen knock-on effects across America and in the case of California, it was making reconstruction efforts, after January’s devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, more difficult.

“Los Angeles and Southern California are currently trying to rebuild from the fires that destroyed thousands of buildings. Now the governor pointed out 75 percent of US lumber imports come from Canada, so the tariffs will severely impact the rebuilding of a devastated region.”

Niu added no other state in the union had more to lose than California from the Trump tariffs.

“He [Governor Newsom] mentioned, for example, that California is by far the largest exporter of almonds, pistachios, and dairy products, all of which are about more than 40 percent export dependent.”

“He also brought up little-known fact that California is the largest manufacturing state, accounting for 14 percent of US GDP, and that many of those products need to be exported.”