Dear neighbors,
Northern Minnesota recently won a major victory in the battle to protect our jobs and our livelihoods.
Shortly after thousands of workers rallied in Virginia for the Save Our Steel Jobs Rally, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced new tariffs on cheap, low-quality steel from South Korea, India and seven other countries being illegally dumped in the US, resulting in layoffs and idled factories around the country – and posing a major threat to jobs on the Range.
Today, steelworkers, steel company executives and elected officials testified before the International Trade Commission about the economic harm caused by illegal steel dumping in the US. The International Trade Commission will now decide how much, if any, each nation will pay in anti-dumping fines. A decision is expected by August 25.
Please contact me if I can be of any assistance in helping make sure your voice gets heard by the International Trade Commission about this critical issue.
As we continue our fight to ensure good jobs and strong communities on the Range, Minnesota has received a lot of encouraging economic news. While there is still a lot to do to grow our economy and expand the middle class, here are a few noteworthy headlines we can all be proud of:
• Minnesota has gained over 160,000 jobs since Gov. Dayton took office in January 2011. And we have gained nearly 70,000 jobs since the legislative session began in January 2013. This is one of the best job creation rates in the country.
• In 2012 and 2013, our economy grew by 4.9 percent. This is significantly higher than the national GDP growth, ranks 13th in the country, and is ahead of nearly all of our Midwestern neighbors.
• Forbes ranks Minnesota as the 8th best state for business in the country due to our business climate and growth prospects. Wisconsin is ranked 41st.
• CNBC ranked Minnesota as the 6th best state in the country for business in 2014. MN ranks higher than every other midwestern state and receives top marks for infrastructure, business friendliness and the strength of our economy.
I hope you and your loved ones are having a great summer. It was great seeing so many of you at the holiday festivities and parades during the Fourth of July weekend.
Sincerely,
Jason Metsa
State Representative, District 6B