Major US automakers, together with other companies, who have vast investments in the mainland, are feeling the sting after having been told by US President Donald Trump to "immediately start looking for an alternative to China."
China is the biggest market for some US-based vehicle manufacturers and the country where one-third of the US auto industry's "Big Three" has the highest sales.
China is also where all of the US "Big Three" in vehicles: General Motors (GM), Ford Motor Company (Ford), and Fiat Chrysler all have auto plants.
Take for instance GM, maker of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC.
The company's sales in China was higher than that of its US sales in 2018.
GM sold 3.65 million units in the mainland while it sold 3 million vehicles in the US.
China's car market is even bigger than that of US and Japan put together.
GM has low US sales, though it's one of the "Big Three" in the US auto industry, with prominence in some Midwestern and Southern states.
Leaving China will be detrimental for the company and the US economy.
Motor vehicle and parts dealers have close to 2 million American employees as of March 2019 according to statista.com.
If GM's profits dive, the US auto industry and economy will feel it because its auto supply chain will shrink and there will be mass unemployment.
However, China's vehicle industry is highly competitive. GM leaving China would just mean local brands and automakers outside the US swooping in to fill the gap.
With China being the largest vehicle market, there will be no shortage of auto-related investments.
GM has a small chance of following Trump.
It needs it's auto plants close to its customers to survive in the ever-growing competitive auto industry and the US needs GM for its economy.
Likewise, US electric car manufacturer Tesla and the other third of the "Big Three" of the US automobile industry - Ford, maker of commercial vehicles under the Ford brand and luxury cars under the Lincoln brand are going to also get the massive impact should they leave China.
Tesla and Ford are the top sellers in China of US-produced vehicles.
Ford sells 230,000 US-built vehicles in China accounting for 20% of its global sales, while Tesla sells 7% of its US-made vehicles in the mainland.
Likewise, the China sales of US-put-together vehicles of Daimler and BMW is at 57% combined.
Trump's latest order for US companies to leave China is in answer to the 25% tariffs that China will be putting on US-manufactured vehicles that would enter the mainland come December 15.
However, a majority of US vehicles get built in China and are exempted from tariffs.
Ford didn't comment on the impact of the tariff but stated that the company is the top exporter of vehicles assembled in the US and "we are uniquely a net exporter to China."
The company also "encourages" the two countries to have "a near-term resolution" adding that it is "essential" for them "to work together to advance balanced and fair trade."
Though many US business groups have already made their opposition to Trump's trade policy known, Myron Brilliant, executive vice president and head of international affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce was also quoted saying "We do not want to see a further deterioration of US-China relations."
