Colorado

Colorado's diversified economy gives it resilience but no immunity from tariff shocks. The state's premium beef industry — Colorado is a top-5 cattle state — faces retaliatory tariffs from Japan and China that specifically target high-value American beef cuts, threatening ranchers across the Eastern Plains. The Front Range tech corridor from Boulder to Colorado Springs hosts major semiconductor, space, and defense employers (Lockheed Martin's Waterton Canyon, Ball Aerospace, Microchip Technology) dependent on global supply chains for specialized components. Colorado's craft beer industry, the nation's largest per capita, faces rising costs on imported aluminum cans, hops, and specialty ingredients. The outdoor recreation economy — a $62B sector employing 500,000 — sees higher prices on imported gear, bikes, and equipment. Wheat exports from the Eastern Plains face retaliatory measures, while the state's growing renewable energy sector depends on Chinese-made solar panels now subject to steep tariffs. Denver's position as a logistics hub means tariff-driven trade disruption ripples through its warehousing and transportation sectors.