More changes in U.S. trade policy Wednesday means another day for Alabama exporters to look at how their businesses may be affected.

U.S. stocks were down Thursday, a day after President Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 125 percent while postponing duties on other countries for three months.

The president left in place a 10 percent tariff on nearly every country, as well as sector-specific taxes on automobiles, steel and aluminum. The European Union announced it would also delay its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports for three months.

Trump on Wednesday abruptly backed down on his tariffs on most nations for 90 days, while upping the ante on China.

The president posted on Truth Social that “more than 75 Countries” had reached out to the U.S. government for trade talks.

China is Alabama’s third biggest trade partner. The state’s businesses exported $4.1 billion in goods there last year, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce.

NBC News is reporting that China could target the U.S. services sector, by restricting American cooperation with Chinese companies.

Alabama’s goods and services exports to China supported 15,010 American jobs in 2022, according to the U.S. China Business Council.

Top product exports to China include chemicals, vehicles, pulp and paperboard products, resins and synthetic fibers, and aerospace products and parts. Alabama businesses also export ocean freight and port services, education services, equipment installation and some credit-related services.

The council’s president, Sean Stein, has urged the two countries to begin negotiations.

“These across-the-board tariffs on China and any Chinese retaliation will significantly harm U.S. businesses, consumers, and farmers as well as U.S. competitiveness globally,” Stein said. “The tariffs on China imposed by the last two U.S. administrations have not changed unfair Chinese economic practices, so it is unclear how additional tariffs will accomplish that goal. History has proven that tariffs raise costs and undermine America’s competitiveness in markets around the world.”

But the effect of China’s tit-for-tat tariffs may be somewhat limited. China imports about $160 billion a year in U.S. goods, while it exports more than $400 billion in goods to the U.S.

China Thursday said the door to talks is open, but “dialogue must be conducted on an equal basis with mutual respect,” according to CBS News.

Meanwhile, tariffs have caused some automakers to delay entering their vehicles into the U.S., seeking to minimize the effect of tariffs. Financial Times is reporting thousands of vehicles in U.S. ports are causing some lots to reach near capacity.

A German car executive told the outlet that many companies are still trying to figure out how tariffs would be applied, as even American made cars would be subject with foreign car parts.

“Is a part an engine, or is it each screw in the engine?” one was quoted as saying.

Companies are trying to find out where each component is coming from, which can be time-consuming because of supply chains.

Automakers are also attempting to avoid any long-term production moves as there is still much uncertainty about the direction of tariff policies.

Mercedes-Benz is weighing whether to shift some manufacturing to the U.S. to avoid additional costs from the tariffs. But the automaker has announced there will be no increase in sticker price to 2025 model-year vehicles for U.S. customers. Toyota and Honda made similar announcements.

Hyundai Motor said last week that it would not raise its suggested retail price until June 2.

Mazda is likely to pass on at least some of the costs of the tariffs to consumers and expects U.S. sales to suffer, according to Headlight.news.