Central ND News

Senator John Hoeven, who leads the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and serves as a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, spoke this week with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to address key issues affecting North Dakota’s agricultural sector.

Hoeven emphasized the importance of prioritizing foreign purchases of U.S. agricultural products in ongoing trade negotiations. He noted that such sales are crucial for producers facing current challenges, especially as harvest season begins for crops like soybeans, wheat, and corn.

During their conversation, Hoeven also raised concerns about wildfire smoke drifting from Canada into North Dakota. He urged that Canadian officials take stronger action to control wildfires and improve air quality in the region as part of discussions during trade talks.

“Secretary Bessent is front and center in the Trump administration’s trade negotiations, and our conversation was focused on the need to prioritize agriculture sales in the next round of negotiations with China to help our farmers and ranchers get through current difficulties until better trade deals are secured,” said Hoeven. “The long-term goal here is getting better trade deals and removing both tariff and non-tariff barriers to ensure our producers are treated fairly in the global marketplace. Our farmers and ranchers can compete with anyone, anywhere as long as they are given a level playing field. At the same time, North Dakotans have real concerns with Canada ‘exporting smoke’ and reduced air quality, which has not only impeded summer activities, but is a serious health concern. We need to make sure the Canadian government is doing more to address and prevent these fires, and I’ve asked Secretary Bessent to press this issue as trade talks continue.”

Hoeven’s efforts come at a time when local producers are seeking relief through increased international sales while broader negotiations on tariffs and market access continue.