More than 100 lawmakers, led by North Dakota Senator John Hoeven and North Dakota Representative Julie Fedorchak, have asked the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office to support a Section 301 investigation into unfair trade practices by foreign sugar-producing countries. In a letter to Trade Representative Jamison Greer, the lawmakers cited a study by North Dakota State University analyzing the impact of over-quota sugar imports on the domestic market. That report said Tier-2 imports resulted in a loss of up to $1.8 billion for the U.S. sugar industry last year. Hoeven told RRFN that bipartisan support is growing for this concept. “This levels the playing field,” said Hoeven. “It’s vitally important for a huge domestic industry and one that’s incredibly important to both North Dakota and Minnesota.”
