investment bank

Staff shown the door would joke that they had been "Goldman sacked" – a reference to Zia Yusuf's former employer, the investment bank Goldman Sachs.

Lu, who is working for an investment bank in Orange County, is on a visa under “optional practical training,” a work authorization commonly given to international student graduates to gain professional experience.

"The UK has one of the least imbalanced relationships with the US and now has a universal tariff rate of 10%. China has one of the most imbalanced relationships and now has a tariff rate of 30%," said George Saravelos, head of FX research at the investment bank.

Investment bank Stifel estimates the company sources 40% of its products from China and another 40% from Vietnam, both of which are subject to large tariffs.

"The primary question... is whether or not there will be negotiations," said Thierry Wizman, a global strategist at the investment bank Macquarie.