Meeting Continues Heitkamp’s Farm Bill & Trade Discussions across the State; Today’s Roundtable Discussion Follows Up on her June Meeting near Grand Forks

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today met with members of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association to discuss their concerns related to the renegotiation of NAFTA, the administration’s escalating trade war, and continued access to critical markets for North Dakota products. Heitkamp also spoke about upcoming Farm Bill negotiations and her efforts to boost North Dakota’s agriculture economy.

Recently, Heitkamp has met with Canadian leaders to bring up U.S. trade concerns amid NAFTA renegotiations. Last week, Heitkamp met with Canada’s Deputy Ambassador to the United States to push for a resolution to talks that provides fair fixes while also preserving North Dakota’s access to the Canadian market— the largest foreign customer of North Dakota goods. This followed Heitkamp speaking with the Canadian Ambassador last month to discuss progress in NAFTA renegotiations and to press for updates to the agreement that address longstanding issues regarding wheat grading and U.S. potato market access.

North Dakota ranks sixth in the nation in overall potato production and first in red potato production.

“The Red River Valley produces some of the best potatoes in the country, and our potato farmers and processers are acutely aware of how changes to trade agreements can directly impact their ability to sell this high-quality crop,” said Heitkamp. “In particular, the Northern Plains Potato Growers have serious concerns about ongoing NAFTA renegotiations and their ability to get a fair shake when it comes to trade between the United States and Canada. I’ve long said that NAFTA is not perfect and needs to address its provisions that put some of our producers at an unfair disadvantage— but throwing around disruptive rhetoric and threatening to withdraw is not the way to do it. That’s why I’m working with these farmers to find new and sustainable ways to put our markets on an even playing field. Additionally, I’m speaking with them about how I’m fighting in Farm Bill negotiations to protect their crop insurance, provide them with the certainty they need, and expand their access to markets. Particularly during these unpredictable times, passing a Farm Bill before the current one expires at the end of September is absolutely critical as we look to protect North Dakota’s farm and ranch economy.”

Today’s meeting builds off feedback she received at a June 2018 Farm Bill and trade roundtable discussion she held with farmers, ranchers, and commodity groups near Grand Forks. In recent weeks, Heitkamp has also discussed North Dakota’s Farm Bill and trade priorities with crop and livestock producers in Kindred,  Richardton, Dickinson, Mandan, Minot, Carrington, Wahpeton, and Langdon.

Last week, Heitkamp was appointed to the Farm Bill conference committee, which is tasked with reaching a compromise agreement between the U.S. Senate and U.S. House Farm Bills. Heitkamp, one of 9 senators appointed to the conference committee, will use the position to advocate for North Dakota priorities and the many bipartisan wins she secured in the Senate Farm Bill to support North Dakota agriculture. Click here for video of Heitkamp discussing her Farm Bill priorities in a speech on the floor of the Senate.

Heitkamp has also taken proactive steps to stand up for North Dakota farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers as the administration’s trade war continues to escalate. She has continued to press top administration officials— including at the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Agriculture Department, and U.S. Commerce Department— about how the trade war is hurting North Dakota producers and manufacturers.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently released a report showing how the ongoing, escalating trade war threatens over $60 million in North Dakota exports. The report estimates that over 111,000 jobs in North Dakota are supported by trade. 

Background

Heitkamp has continued to press for smart trade policies that support North Dakota’s farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers by:

• Pressing top officials since the beginning of this administration to protect and expand markets for North Dakota goods. Heitkamp has met with the U.S. Agriculture Secretary (USDA), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), U.S Commerce Secretary, and many other top U.S. administration officials – many of them several times – to explain that the U.S. needs smart trade policies to allow our farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers to reach new markets – not tariffs, uncertainty with NAFTA, or hostility toward our top trading partners. In February 2017, when she first met with USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, when he was a nominee for the position, the bulk of their conversation focused on trade. Heitkamp recently pushed Jerome Powell, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, on the impact of the administration’s trade war on the U.S. economy. Powell agreed that imposing tariffs over a sustained period time is the wrong thing to do for the economy.  

• Engaging with North Dakota’s critical trading partners like Canada and Mexico. In frequent meetings and phone calls with the Mexican and Canadian Ambassadors to the U.S., Heitkamp has worked to protect the trade relationships that keep North Dakotas export-dependent economy thriving. She recently coordinated a meeting between North Dakota farmers and ranchers and the Mexican ambassador to help maintain their trade relationship amid the uncertainty caused by the administration’s trade war and NAFTA renegotiation.

• Supporting bipartisan legislation to stop the tariffs. Heitkamp recently joined U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) leading a bipartisan group of eight other senators in introducing legislation to require congressional approval of tariffs designated for national security reasons. Heitkamp also cosponsored bipartisan legislation introduced by Republican U.S. Senator Jeff Flake from Arizona to nullify the aluminum and steel tariffs.

• Introducing legislation to help farmers and ranchers recover losses they face because of the administration’s trade war. Her bill would make Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) available – at no additional cost to the existing TAA program – to farmers and producers whose exports are hurt by retaliatory tariffs caused by the administration’s trade policies.

• Gaining input from North Dakotans. Heitkamp has regularly met with folks from North Dakota impacted by trade, including recent meetings in Washington with North Dakota growers of soybeans, corn, barley, and other commodities, as well as manufacturers and small business owners. She has held a series of meetings across the state to gain input from North Dakotans in agriculture, energy, and manufacturing. And she recently launched a web survey to gain input from North Dakotans to help inform how she can best push back on the administration’s actions on trade.

• Outlining her agenda to strengthen and protect North Dakota’s economy. During a meeting with USTR Robert Lighthizer earlier this year, Heitkamp laid out her top four priorities to support North Dakota workers, farmers, and businesses by enabling them to export their products abroad, and recently spoke out against the administration’s escalating trade war with China, which also threatens North Dakota’s main industries – energy, agriculture, and manufacturing.

• Raising concerns about impacts of retaliatory tariffs on the manufacturing industry. Heitkamp recently toured WCCO Belting, Inc. in Wahpeton and heard firsthand the concerns the North Dakota manufacturer has about trade wars and its ability to export its goods. Over half of WCCO’s sales are to international customers, making trade an essential part of its business model.

• Speaking out against tariffs and uncertainty regarding NAFTA that would put the state’s economy at risk. Heitkamp has met with farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers across North Dakota to talk about the need for smart trade policies that support North Dakota. She penned op-eds in March 2017 and again in April 2018making the case. In February, she also did an episode on her podcast, The Hotdish, about NAFTA and the importance of trade for agriculture. For the episode, she interviewed the former U.S. agricultural trade negotiator and a North Dakota barley farmer. Heitkamp recently brought a group of North Dakota agriculture leaders to the Mexican Embassy in Washington to talk about the importance of NAFTA and reinforce their commitment to a strong relationship with their customers in Mexico.

• Pressing for analysis about the impact of the administration’s trade policies on small businesses. Heitkamp recently called on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Advocacy to analyze the impact of the administration’s tariff policies on American small businesses. Small businesses represent nearly 99 percent of all businesses in North Dakota, and support nearly 60 percent of all jobs in the state, according to SBA.

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