Export Declines Hit Minnesota With A Sharp 19 Percent Drop

ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- Minnesota's exports declined 19 percent in the second quarter of this year.  The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development says we exported a total of $5.8 billion in goods during April, May, and June.  That's down from $7 billion during the same period a year ago.

In the first quarter of this year, Minnesota's exports were down six percent from the previous year.

Read More: Minnesota Exports Decline Amid Tariff Uncertainty |

Trade to Minnesota's top three trading partners all declined, including Canada, down 45 percent, Mexico, down 22 percent, and China, down 21 percent.  We did see increases to some countries, like the United Kingdom, up 52 percent, and Ireland up 15 percent.

Minnesota-made products that saw fewer shipments overseas include vehicles down 28 percent, cereals down 27 percent, food by-products down 18 percent, and machinery down 17 percent.  There were slight increases in electrical equipment and aircraft.

Last week, China announced it was not buying any soybeans from the United States this fall, instead opting to purchase all of its soybeans from other countries like Argentina.

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State Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen says China is our largest soybean export market, but is not buying from us this fall due to tariffs:

(We have a lot of soybeans. We're gonna have a big harvest. We need somewhere for them to go. And we've worked years to build relationships and build those markets. So it's kind of frustrating to not have that market that's been there for us and China is a big bucket.")

Petersen says it was extra hard to see China make a major soybean purchase from Argentina last week and order zero U-S soybeans.