HOUSTON, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of business people from Chinese-invested enterprises in the Greater Houston region, the U.S. state of Texas, attended a workshop Friday, discussing the impact of U.S. tariffs and local business culture.

The workshop, with the theme of The Hot Topics in 2019, was held days after Chinese and U.S. negotiators wrapped up the latest round of trade talks with substantial progress on specific issues.

The event, co-organized by Ernst & Young LLP, Prodensa Group and Nguyen & Chen LLP, aimed at helping Chinese investors operating their businesses in the Greater Houston region improve their profitability as well as avoid potential risks or traps.

During the half-day event, speakers and attendees discussed topics such as U.S. trade environment, data technology in the future chemical and energy industry, biomedical innovation in Texas, human resources in American market and legal risk management.

Mark Winchester, deputy district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), told Xinhua it's not the first time for him to attend an event focusing on Chinese investors in Houston.

Mark said the SBA can be a good platform or a partner in providing services, including free consulting for small companies with Chinese background.

The SBA is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of the United States.