Trade spat hits state of Washington
US aircraft maker Boeing Co often finds itself at the center of any trade spat between the US and China. It's not just that the iconic US firm has a lot at stake in any tariff dispute, but so does the state of Washington, where its aircraft are manufactured.History and economic development have enabled Washington state to create one of the highest levels of engagement with China of any US state. While Boeing is a major player in that relationship, the state's economy has other sectors also that depend on Sino-US trade.
Washington has an export-dominated economy, and China was its top export market in 2017, according to data from the US Census Bureau. The state exported goods and services worth $76.4 billion last year, and China accounted for nearly $18 billion of that amount.
"China is a huge and important market for Washington so any problems experienced by Boeing would probably be felt by other key elements of the (state's) economy," said Spencer Cohen, senior economist at Seattle-based consulting firm Community Attributes Inc, in an interview.
