Purchases by Chinese companies have taken a dip since the trade spat between China and the US has heated up. Gary Anglebrandt has a rundown of some of the figures and the US industries likely to be feeling the impact.

We have yet to see the actual import-export data released for July, but considering that trade tensions between the two countries have been brewing for some time, companies are unsurprisingly planning ahead. China's latest PMI show decreases from previous months for both June and July - a foreboding sign for the future of the Sino-American trade relationship. In the U.S., thousands of companies are filing for tariff exemptions to avoid the potential damage.

Despite the economic uncertainty it might bring about, U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear his desire to boost production of goods "made in America". But is this a realistic goal?

LIAO QUN, CHIEF ECONOMIST CHINA CITIC BANK "In the past, Chinese exports to the U.S. were mainly from the traditional industries, such as the garment sector. But now, the single industry that weighs the most in China to U.S. exports is electrical machinery."

According to data from the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the top three categories of Chinese exports to the U.S. are: machinery, furniture & bedding and toys & sports equipment.

In 2017, the U.S. trade deficit with China was 375 billion U.S. dollars. However, because import goods that require heavy labor account for most of that imbalance, it might not be easy for America to find alternatives. The transition from a manufacturing-led economy to a service-led one is an upgrading process. And since the US has already made this shift, it won't be easy to turn back.

LIAO QUN, CHIEF ECONOMIST CHINA CITIC BANK "Manufacturing requires workers, even with automation. So, first, there is the labor cost. Another factor is labor quality. Manufacturing requires workers to work hard and be disciplined. Such workers are mainly found in developing countries. In the U.S., because the medium and low-end manufacturing sector has been hollowing out for years, even lower-class workers might not meet such requirements. How can you re-develop manufacturing without workers?"

On August 3rd, China announced its plan to tax an additional $60 billion dollars worth of U.S. imports in response to Trump's latest threat to further raise tariffs on $200 billion dollars worth of Chinese goods. It may not be a tit-for-tat retaliation value-wise. But China does have two trump cards that the U.S. lacks - it's both a crucial market for US services and a major destination for US foreign investment. It's hard to predict what may come next, but if one of Trump's goals is to replace Chinese imports with domestic production, it might be not so easy or straightforward to achieve. Gary Anglebrandt, CGTN, Beijing.