In 2022, Colorado maintained a robust trend in goods exports to China, holding steady at $1.1 billion, surpassing the 2008-2017 pre-trade war average of $637 million. Notably, meat product shipments to China soared to $412 million, a substantial increase from $104 million in 2020, reflecting China’s growing demand for high-quality American beef. Colorado’s strength in renewable energy, clean-tech, and tourism further positions it well for service export expansion with China. Yet as with many Heartland states, such promising opportunities may be hampered by broader geopolitical tensions. Colorado’s solar industry, for example, was heavily impacted by a 2022 federal investigation into potential Chinese avoidance of tariffs. Chinese Americans, although small in numbers, have had a long history in Colorado. Denver’s Historic Chinatown was once one of the largest and most prosperous Chinatowns in the Heartland before it was destroyed during anti-Chinese sentiment in 1880. Thanks to John Yee, a Flying Tigers veteran who had emigrated to Colorado, Denver and Kunming became sister cities in 1986 and celebrated their 35th year of friendship via a virtual celebration in 2021. The University of Colorado, Boulder, initiated the Teaching East Asia program, training K-12 teachers to educate younger generations on Chinese culture, history, and language.

In 2022, Colorado maintained a robust trend in goods exports to China, holding steady at $1.1 billion, surpassing the 2008-2017 pre-trade war average of $637 million. Notably, meat product shipments to China soared to $412 million, a substantial increase from $104 million in 2020, reflecting China’s growing demand for high-quality American beef.

Prior to 2021’s massive upswing, Colorado’s exporting to China had been remarkably steady–so steady in fact, that the state experienced remarkably little disruption to its exporting to China during the trade war, with a very small 6% decrease–not to say that the impact on Colorado’s industries was a net zero. Tariffs on Chinese solar panels throttled the solar power sector and neither administration since has incentivized solar production which is a major industry in Colorado. Colorado’s solar industry–with 330 solar companies in state, employing 7,000 Coloradans–was also heavily impacted by a federal investigation into potential Chinese avoidance of tariffs, raising the price of solar panels and causing hiring freezes; this prompted Colorado Senator Michael Bennet in May 2022 to protest the investigation and tariffs stifling said industry.

Colorado’s strength in renewable energy, clean-tech, and tourism further positions it well for service export expansion with China. Yet as with many Heartland states, such promising opportunities may be hampered by broader geopolitical tensions. Colorado’s solar industry, for example, was heavily impacted by a 2022 federal investigation into potential Chinese avoidance of tariffs.

Recently Colorado has experienced a period of not only growth but also reflection. 2021 marked the 35th anniversary of the Denver-Kunming sister cities relationship, celebrated last November in a panel organized by USHCA (watch the video here). In addition, on April 16th, 2022, Mayor Michael Hancock officially signed a letter of apology to the Denver Chinese community for the city’s role in the anti-Chinese race riot of 1880. Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU) has been working to re-envision Denver’s Historic Chinatown (known as the “LoDo” sector) which was once one of the largest and most prosperous Chinatowns to have existed in the Heartland. These efforts mark a growing appreciation for the history of Coloradoan Chinese and Chinese-Americans.

 The University of Colorado, Boulder, initiated the Teaching East Asia program, training K-12 teachers to educate younger generations on Chinese culture, history, and language.

This data and content is updated periodically. The most recent update was January 2024.