Tariffs threaten 1.5M jobs: Study

President Trump’s trade war is putting 1.5 million U.S. jobs at risk, according to a study commissioned by the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest container port.

“Very simply put, less cargo means less jobs,” said the port’s Executive Director Gene Seroka at a Washington, D.C., press conference.

{mosads}The report, which was conducted by consulting firm BST Associates, limited its scope to the effects of the trade war on cargo that goes through the LA port, meaning the overall effects of the trade war could be larger.

The report found that 52.7 percent of the goods coming through the port, based on value, were affected by tariffs.

Of the jobs that could be affected, about 1.26 million, were in danger due to tariffs that Trump imposed, while the remaining 206,790 were threatened by retaliatory tariffs from U.S. trade partners.

The group also found that areas key to Trump’s 2020 reelection strategy are hard hit. The Great Lakes region, for example, was in danger of losing 358,000 jobs.

Hoping to pack a political punch, the group further broke down the effects of the trade war by state and Congressional district.

Colorado, for example, where Sen. Cory Gardner (R) expects a tough reelection battle, was in danger of losing 3,970 jobs from the trade war.

One problem, the group said, was that Trump was fighting multiple trade wars at once instead of building a coalition against China.

“I don’t recall a time where we’ve ever been in a 360-degree trade negotiation,” Seroka said.

Trump faces a Wednesday deadline to decide whether to impose new auto tariffs on the European Union or postpone the decision by six months. He is also negotiating details for a partial “phase one” deal with China and battling House Democrats over the terms of an updated North American Free Trade Agreement.