Governor Bill Walker of Alaska will visit China to build trade relations, the Associated Press reports, following a state visit by the Chinese President to Anchorage last year. The move comes ahead of potential wide-ranging tariffs on Chinese goods due to the Trump administration’s section 301 review of Chinese intellectual property practices, outlined in Panjiva research of February 14. That review, as well as the recently announced section 232 metals tariffs, have already raised the prospect of Chinese retaliation against U.S. agricultural exports.

Alaska is particularly exposed to food exports, with 49.2% of its total exports and 60.2% of its exports to China in 2017 having been accounted for by fish, Panjiva analysis of official data shows. Other major export lines that may be at risk include lead (17.0% of China-bound exports) and forestry (3.6%), while opportunities to increase exports include zinc (24.9% of global exports, none to China) and oil products (3.6% vs. none).

Chart segments Alaskan exports by destination and product (HS-4). Calculations based on U.S. Census Bureau data. Source: Panjiva