Trump's stance on China worries US exporters

New York

PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump's threat to slap punitive tariffs on Chinese goods is a worry for firms that trade with the country in the United States Midwest, a decisive region in the Republican's election triumph.

Strong support across America's "Rust Belt" and frustration at lost industrial jobs blamed on globalisation carried Mr Trump to victory last month in key battleground states, including Michigan and Ohio.

But some companies in the region that benefit from global trade are worried about the early signs that the president-elect plans to take a hardline stance with China.

"We export a lot of products to China," said David Shogren, president of US In…