Heitkamp Statement on Meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Nominee Robert Lighthizer
Statement
U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp issued the following statement after her one-on-one meeting with Robert Lighthizer, the administration's nominee for U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
"The U.S. Trade Representative is probably the most important position nobody's ever heard of. The USTR plays a key role in making sure North Dakota farmers and ranchers get a fair shake in international trade--and that's critical for their bottom line and for supporting good American jobs," said Heitkamp. "After a productive meeting with Robert Lighthizer, the administration's nominee for this post, I look forward to learning more about him through his U.S. Senate hearing. Trade is vital for North Dakota, especially for our agricultural producers, so I reinforced to him that any USTR needs to push for good trade agreements that level the playing field for producers, while also holding other countries accountable when they cheat on trade deals."
Heitkamp has long worked to expand market access for North Dakota farmers and ranchers. Last year, Heitkamp called on the former U.S. Trade Representative to protect North Dakota grain growers from unfair treatment after a report she requested showed that Canada segregates North Dakota grain and offers unfair prices to U.S. producers at Canadian elevators.
Heitkamp has also fought to guarantee North Dakota farmers have fair access to China, including through a World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance case in December 2016. In September 2016, she helped announce an earlier compliance case to hold China accountable for over-subsidizing its domestic crops.
Heitkamp has been meeting with and attending hearings on the new administration's cabinet nominees over the last few weeks. She also launched a portal on her webpage to hear directly from North Dakotans, and has already received over 1,000 responses. To give feedback to Heitkamp on the new administration's cabinet picks, visit her webpage here.
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