Heitkamp: New Tariffs a Danger to North Dakota's Economy

Statement

U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today released the following statement on the administration's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum, threatening North Dakota's economy and consumers.

"Farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and the energy industry -- the lifeblood of economic activity in our state -- know that a trade war is bad for jobs, bad for business, and bad for North Dakota. A trade war has dangerous ripple effects across our economy, costing consumers in expensive and unpredictable ways. If the administration wants to strengthen rural America, it should focus on protecting markets for the goods we produce and expanding opportunities for industries in our state. Instead, they're shooting our economy in the foot, stoking fear in our farming communities, and casting a shadow on manufacturers who rely on exports to survive. North Dakota can't afford reckless policies that put prosperity in rural communities at risk."

Background

U.S. trading partners have vowed to retaliate against the U.S. if the administration implements the proposed tariffs on aluminum and steel, which would hurt the ability of North Dakota farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers to export their products to those countries.

Heitkamp has been fighting to protect and expand markets for North Dakota goods, pushing the administration to back off damaging threats to withdrawal from NAFTA and speaking out against tariffs that would put the state's economy at risk.

Exports are a critical part of North Dakota's economy. For example:

North Dakota is the ninth largest agriculture exporting state in the country, with $5.3 billion in goods exported worldwide in 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

North Dakota is in the top 10 most exposed states to new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, according to the Brookings Institution.

North Dakota is home to over 17,000 workers employed in industries that are particularly dependent on production and consumption of steel and aluminum, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

$355 million in North Dakota grain and grain products was exported in 2015, adding $570 million in value to the state's economy, according to the U.S. Grains Council.

50 percent of North Dakota's exports to the European Union are agricultural and construction machinery, according the U.S. Department of Commerce.

60 percent of North Dakota's exports to China are agricultural products, according the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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