Louisiana Gov. Edwards says Trump’s approach on tariffs will harm state

Published 12:31 pm Saturday, July 21, 2018

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards is telling President Donald Trump that Louisiana will be harmed with his use of tariffs in trade disputes with other countries.
The Democratic governor wrote to the White House, asking the president to reconsider his approach.

In the letter, Edwards says the tariffs Trump has imposed on certain imports, along with retaliatory tariffs enacted by countries in response, will damage Louisiana’s ports, liquefied natural gas facilities and farms.

Edwards says one in six jobs in Louisiana depend on international commerce. He says that if the Trump administration doesn’t “strike the right balance,” Louisiana would be among the hardest-hit states by the tariffs.

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Though a Democrat, Louisiana’s governor has avoided criticizing the Republican president. Edwards wrote that he appreciates the “great working relationship” he’s had with Trump.