During testimony before the Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said he hopes a final trade deal between the U.S. and China will be finalized within a matter of weeks. “I think there is a bright light on agriculture for the future and that certainly is our objective,” said Lighthizer. The effect of the trade war between the U.S. and China is being felt throughout the country, but no where more than North Dakota. According to a study from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, North Dakota agricultural exports to China declined 94 percent from 2017-to-2018. That compares to a 40 percent decline in South Dakota and down just 12 percent in Minnesota.
