But there is that business aspect which undercuts our perceptions of reality in many sobering ways. For instance, according to a report by the US-China Business Council, China is South Dakota’s top market for exported goods, most of which is agricultural in nature. In 2017, this state exported $804 million in goods to China, which was enough to support 9,600 jobs here. Amid the tariff wars during President Donald Trumps’ tenure, South Dakota lost $370 million in exports intended for China, according to the Argus-Leader. That was a 40% drop.