126th Morrison Congress

2nd Session

S. 126-004

Title of the Bill: Iron Range Trade Act

Main Author(s): Senator Alec Webskowski (D-MN)

Co-Sponsor(s):
Senate Floor Action 12/6/2017 passed by 10-0-0

BE IT ENACTED BY THE MORRISON CONGRESS

1 SECTION 1: Findings
2 Congress makes the following findings:
3 1) The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) has launched new
4 trade tariffs against seven nations that are designed to thwart the illegal
5 dumping of underpriced steel products- a practice that badly hurt Minnesota's
6 Iron Range and U.S. steel producers. (I)
7 2) Members of Minnesota's Congressional Delegation fought hard for the trade
8 tariffs in an effort to alleviate the mass layoffs and closures of taconite plants
9 across the Iron Range in Northeast Minnesota. (I)
10 3) Sen. Amy Klobuchar said These [new] tariffs are welcome news for our
11 workers but we cannot rest until every miner is back on the job. (I)
12 4) Resources is [now] investing $65 million in new, 21st century mining
technology [in Minnesota] that will ensure good mining jobs on the Range for
13
generations to come. (I)
14
5) The report shows Minnesota businesses exported $5.4 billion worth of
15
mining, manufactured, and agricultural products in the third quarter of 2017.
16
This represents an 11 percent increase from the previous year, climbing in
17 nearly every major global region. (II)
18 6) Among top exports were optical/medical products, machinery, electrical
19 machinery, vehicles, aircraft and spacecraft together accounting for more
20 than $3 billion in exports. These products all contain steel, made from iron.
21 (II)
22 7) Minnesotas iron mines truly have a regional, state, national, and
23 international impact, Johnson said. (II)
24 8) More than $96 million from iron mining taxes went back into the communities
25 in 2017 (II)
26 9) Iron mining paid $152 million in state and local taxes in 2011. (lV)
27
28 SECTION 2: Purpose
29 This bill provides that we shall increase fundings toward the iron range to improve
30 workforce, safety, and trade among other countries.
31
32 SECTION 3: General Provisions
33 This act provides a 1 million dollar trust fund to the Iron Mountain Range, which has
34 historically been understaffed. [Wo Amendment]
35
36 Prior to being recognized, iron ranges of Minnesota are heavily understaffed. Work
37 conditions were unsafe, salary was not adequate, and trade with China and other
38 countries was unstable. After changing the trade tariffs, there was minimal attention
39 on the state of Minnesota and they will need every taconite plant across the Iron
40 Range in Northeast Minnesota to be back up and running. These effects would have
41 state, national, and international impact.
42
43 SECTION 4: Definitions
44 Trade Tariffs- A tax imposed on imported goods and services.
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Works Cited:

I. http://www.startribune.com/new-trade-tariffs-thwart-steel-dumping-help-iron-
range/393410421/
II. http://www.taconite.org/news/latest/?235
III. http://www.taconite.org/news/latest/?234
IV. http://minnesotairon.org/economic-impact/