Dusty Johnson Releases Trade and Tariff Plan at Dakotafest

Dusty Johnson Releases Trade and Tariff Plan at Dakotafest

 Mitchell, SD – Dusty Johnson, Republican candidate for Congress in South Dakota, released a plan to speed trade negotiations, boost American commodity prices, and ensure greater checks-and-balances over trade policy in the future.

“Our producers cannot afford to wait and they cannot afford to lose,” said Johnson.  “All South Dakotans – all Americans – should be hoping for a good result from this trade negotiation.  My Trade and Tariff Plan would help bring about a good result, and quickly,” Johnson added.

Dusty proposed a three-part plan to help South Dakota agriculture and manufacturing producers in the short-term and long-term:

1. Increase our negotiating force. South Dakota producers appreciate the $12 billion aid package proposed by the President, but the top priority is a swift resolution to the trade disputes.  Accordingly, Dusty proposes deploying a small portion of the aid package to contract with hundreds of the world’s best negotiators to expedite reaching trade agreement. Our nation is engaged in more trade negotiations than at any time in modern history.  We need to add capacity to our negotiating team and ensure that a good result is not delayed because we are stretched too thin.
2. Boost domestic demand for commodities. Creating demand for our commodities here in the United States will provide a structural boost to commodity prices, today and into the future.  That will ease leverage other countries have over South Dakota producers.  The easiest way for our country to boost domestic demand for ag products is for the EPA to make E15 available year-round.  There are numerous other ways USDA and SBA can provide support to emerging value-added agriculture ventures, and Senate and House conferees should work to protect the value-added agriculture programs in the 2018 Farm Bill.
3. Require authorization for some future tariffs. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 provides the President with remarkably broad authority to impose tariffs to respond to clear national security threats. Created at the height of the Cold War, the authority provided under Section 232 is too broad, and Dusty proposes congressional action be required before such national security provisions are exercised in the future.  Congress should not undermine American efforts in the middle of the current trade negotiation.  Dusty’s proposal would not affect Executive authority for trade barriers under Section 201 (safeguard tariffs) and Section 301 (retaliatory actions) of the Trade Act of 1974.

Others have advocated Congressional action ordering the President to unilaterally remove American tariffs on imports from China and other countries – effectively conceding defeat in the trade dispute.  Such a withdrawal is proposed without any assurance that our trading partners would remove their tariffs on goods coming from the United States.  Unilateral withdrawal would also send a message to the international community that the United States will fold in any trade negotiation lasting longer than 90 days.

“South Dakota producers deserve a plan, not a white flag,” said Johnson. “I didn’t support starting this trade war, but now that we are in it, we must work toward ensuring a swift, positive result for our producers and our country.”

Dusty Johnson is a Republican businessman running for U.S. Congress to rein in federal spending, combat DC dysfunction, and return power to families, businesses, communities and states.  He is a former South Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner and former Chief of Staff to Governor Daugaard.  Dusty is a husband, a father of three boys and Vice President of a private sector engineering and consulting firm based in Mitchell.

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