Beijing retaliated Friday against U.S. tariffs with import taxes of its own on $75 billion worth of American-made products. That includes autos and auto parts made in the United States that rely on China as a critical market.

China is the No. 2 export market for U.S. vehicles, notably the BMW X5 sport utility vehicle assembled in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. County Councilmember David Britt, a Republican, said Chinese tariffs have already impacted BMW, which has not expanded its U.S. operations in two years.

“When BMW slows down, everything from the churches to the automotive shops, the restaurants in Spartanburg and across South Carolina [is] affected,” Britt said. “It has a ripple effect like dropping a meteor in a swimming pool.”

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