Nearly 500 Chinese and US political and business leaders attended the 2025 China-California Economic Forum in Los Angeles on June 2. California business representatives jointly called for 'No tariffs, only cooperation. ' Maria Salinas, president of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, said that China is Los Angeles' third-largest export market for goods, and that the chamber has more than 1,400 member companies employing over 650,000 people.

Jim Wanderman, chairman of the Bay Area Council, pointed out that tariffs bring uncertainty and are not a good way to improve the economic structure. Stephen Cheung, president of the Los Angeles World Trade Center, emphasised that the relationship with China is California's most important foreign relationship. Several small business owners reflected that tariffs have caused operational difficulties.

For example, Hollywood supplier Morris said tariffs could crush his company; UV equipment business owner Tiberi said parts cannot be replaced. California Governor Newsom filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on April 16 over tariff issues. During the forum, small and medium-sized enterprises actively sought direct connections with Chinese companies.

The opposition to tariffs from California's business community reflects the pressure trade protectionism places on domestic US businesses. For New Zealand small and medium-sized enterprise owners, the Sino-US trade friction could have dual effects: on one hand, China may shift to increase imports of agricultural and dairy products from New Zealand due to uncertainty in the US market, creating short-term opportunities; on the other hand, if the cooperation model between California and China (such as local economic forums) progresses, it could strengthen Sino-US economic ties, indirectly weakening New Zealand's substitute position. Currently, attention should be paid to China's retaliatory tariff list against the US.

If it involves New Zealand's advantageous product categories, supply chains need to be arranged in advance. In addition, the approach of California SMEs seeking direct access to the Chinese market is worth emulating. New Zealand companies can proactively participate in Chinese regional exhibitions through industry associations or the Trade Development Bureau, reducing reliance on single agents.

In the long run, under the trend of global trade fragmentation, New Zealand needs to deepen its presence in China's second- and third-tier cities while maintaining ties with places like California to diversify risks.

Keywords: California, trade with China, tariffs, cooperation, forum, SMEs, business community, Governor Newsom, lawsuit, supply chain

2025年中国-加州经贸论坛6月2日在洛杉矶举行，近500名中美政商界人士参会。加州商界代表共同呼吁“不要关税，要合作”。洛杉矶地区商会主席玛丽亚·萨利纳斯表示，中国是洛杉矶第三大商品出口市场，商会拥有1400多家成员企业、雇员超65万人。

旧金山湾区委员会主席吉姆·旺德曼指出关税带来不确定性，不是改善经济结构的良策。洛杉矶世界贸易中心总裁史蒂芬·张强调对华关系是加州最重要的对外关系。多位小企业主反映关税导致经营困难，如好莱坞供应商莫里斯称关税可能压垮公司，紫外线设备企业主蒂贝里表示零件无法替代。

加州州长纽森已于4月16日就关税问题起诉特朗普政府。论坛期间，中小企业积极寻求与中国企业直接对接。

美国加州商界反对关税的呼声，反映出贸易保护主义对美国本土企业造成的压力。对新西兰中小企业主而言，中美贸易摩擦可能带来双重影响：一方面，中国可能因美国市场不确定性增加，转而扩大从新西兰进口农产品、乳制品等，形成短期机遇；另一方面，若加州与中国的合作模式（如地方经贸论坛）取得进展，可能强化中美经贸联系，间接削弱新西兰的替代地位。当前应关注中国对美加征关税的反制清单，若涉及新西兰优势品类，则需提前布局供应链。

此外，加州中小企业寻求直接对接中国市场的做法值得借鉴，新西兰企业可通过行业协会或贸发局渠道，主动参与中国地方展会，降低对单一代理商的依赖。长期看，全球贸易碎片化趋势下，新西兰需深耕中国二三线城市，同时保持与加州等地的联系，以分散风险。

关键词: 加州, 对华贸易, 关税, 合作, 论坛, 中小企业, 商界, 州长纽森, 起诉, 供应链

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Source: People's Daily Online International