Editorial: A trade-dependent state braces for Trump's tariffs

By The Herald Editorial Board

For a state such as Washington that is dependent on international trade for its businesses, jobs and overall economy, hearing an incoming U.S. president describe tariffs as “the most beautiful word in the dictionary,” and tout trade wars as “good and easy to win,” the coming of Trump administration 2.0 might be unsettling.

As with most of the players among Washington state’s exporters and importers, Lori Otto Punke, president of the Washington Council on International Trade — the Northwest’s leading association advocating for trade and investment policy — has been here before; she began leading the WCIT at the start of Donald Trump’s first term, nearly eight years ago.

The incoming Trump administration’s influence regarding trade in Washington was the subject of discussions this week among members of the Washington State Port Association, Otto Punke said, including what to expect and how to navigate the next four years, based on his first term and what he’s promised for his second. “It’s an important conversation for Washington state,” she said.

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About 40 percent of jobs in Washington state — manufacturing, food and agriculture, retail, technology and science — are tied to international trade. In recent years, according to the WCIT’s online trade dashboard and other reports, exports from Washington, joined with those from Oregon, totaled more than $135 billion and supported 900,000 jobs in Washington and another 500,000 in Oregon.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-a-trade-dependent-state-braces-for-trumps-tariffs/