Falling exports to China have hurt US businesses and employment, while the loss of Chinese customers could leave lasting damage, according to a new report from the US-China Business Council.

　　The report, released on Monday, found that the United States' goods exports to China fell 26 percent, or $36.3 billion, last year, the steepest single-year decline in recent history. It attributed the downturn to tariffs, particularly those affecting agriculture and fossil fuels.

　　Exports to China supported about 148,000 fewer US jobs than a year earlier, with losses reaching across regions and industries. From coastal communities to rural areas, and from technology to agriculture, few "were spared from the economic pain", the report said.

　　Texas, California, Louisiana and Indiana recorded the largest declines in export value, each losing billions of dollars in sales to China.

　　Agriculture-dominated heartland states suffered the most severe percentage declines. Exports from Indiana fell 43.6 percent, while Illinois and Texas recorded declines of 37.7 percent and 32.9 percent, respectively.

　　Oilseed and grain exports fell 78.1 percent to their lowest value in a decade. Soybean growers lost $9.2 billion in sales to China but offset only $1.5 billion through exports to other destinations.

　　Meanwhile, China bought significantly more soybeans from Brazil and Argentina, reinforcing a pattern of declining US market share that began since the trade tensions in 2018, the report said.

　　China announced tariff reductions on agricultural imports from the US last month, but soybeans were excluded from the initial relief. The report said Chinese soybean purchases were unlikely to return to their 2016 peak.

　　The council warned that the consequences could outlast the tariffs as Chinese buyers establish relationships with other suppliers.